The pilot, a captain in Eritrea’s Air Force, told the authorities in Jizan province she did not wish to return to the east African country, a single-party state with no independent media and up to 10,000 political prisoners.
The jet has been in Saudi Arabia since October, when it diverted to the kingdom piloted by the two officers who wanted to seek asylum.
“She came to the kingdom two weeks ago to retrieve the military plane,” Ali Za’le, a spokesman for Jizan governorate, was quoted as saying. “When she reached Jizan, she expressed her wish to stay here… her request is still being considered by the authorities.”
