Risolto il destino: ma resta il dubbio su come siano atterati visto che hanno preso contatto con Malta ATC solo dopo l'atterraggio..........
Fighter jets will remain property of Libyan state
UNHCR – asylum claims of Libyan fighter pilots is responsibility of Maltese state
The two Mirage fighter jets that landed in Malta on Monday will remain the property of the Libyan state, senior army sources have confirmed.
“The fighter jets remain property of Libya and will be transferred back only until stability returns to the country,” the source said, dispelling rumours that the jets’ unauthorised entry into Malta made them property of the Maltese state.
The two Libyan fighter jet pilots landed in Malta yesterday claiming to have escaped the country after being asked to bomb protester civilians in Benghazi. The men, who claimed to be high-ranking colonels from the Okba bin Nafe base close to Tripoli, requested political asylum, sources said.
A UNHCR spokesperson based in Malta confirmed that any asylum claims will be processed by the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, in Malta.
“It will be the responsibility of the Commissioner to confirm whether the pilots’ claims are being made by two civilians, or two combatants,” the spokesperson said. Asylum as laid down in the Geneva Convention is not given to soldiers who involved in conflict and war.
The two pilots arrived on single-seater Mirage F1 planes at 4:30 p.m. and the government said they asked to land due to fuel shortage. The pilots only made contact with the control tower once they had landed on the commercial runway. The pilots are in police custody.
An army spokesperson said Libya had 12 Mirage F1 planes, which were armed with 2.75 inch air-to-surface rockets.
Two French-registered Super Puma civilian helicopters also landed in Malta at about the same time, carrying seven French passengers who had been contracted by an Italian firm to work in Libya.
