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Indian man sentenced over Geneva airport bomb hoax

The pilots were informed of the bomb threat just before take off Keystone

A 39-year-old Indian man behind a false bomb threat at Geneva airport on Thursday has been sentenced to six months in prison. 

According to the Swiss News Agency ATS, the Geneva public prosecutor delivered the sentence at a hearing after finding the accused guilty of “causing fear and alarm among the population”.  The passenger was late for his flight and his actions were a delaying tactic, stated ATS. 

However, as he was convicted by a final summary judgement, he can still oppose it. He is still a free man as the decision has not entered into force. 

On Thursday, Flight 2381 of the Russian airline Aeroflot had to be evacuated at the airport after the man presented himself at an airline counter shortly before 1pm claiming that there was a bomb on the plane. He later told police it was a joke. 

The plane’s destination was Moscow. In all, 115 passengers on board were evacuated. A bomb squad from the Geneva police investigated the presence of any explosive device.

The passengers were later transferred to another airplane to continue their journey to Moscow, according to Aeroflot. 

This is not the first time this year that someone has been sentenced for a false bomb alarm at Geneva airport. A 41-year-old French woman was given a six-month prison sentence, of which she must serve three, after she phoned the airport with the threat at the end of July. She was jealous of her husband’s alleged mistress and wanted revenge, as she explained to a court in France. She also has to pay a CHF90,000 fine ($92,250) fine.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR