BERLIN, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- German fighter pilots have been banned from shooting down hijacked passenger aircraft even if the plane appears to be part of a terrorist attack.
The ruling imposed by the Constitutional Court was seen by some as weakening the ability to guard the airspace over 12 stadiums that will be sites for the monthlong World Cup soccer championships starting June 9, the Times of London said.
Ministers emphasized that there would still be a no-fly zone over the matches, some involving teams of England, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Also, two Phantom jets will be standing by to intercept suspicious aircraft.
"The protection of the right to the dignity of human life is strict, and an infringement is not permissible," Hans-Jurgen Papier, the court president said.
The court was ruling on a law introduced in 2003 after a 31-year-old student stole a small aircraft and threatened to smash it into a Frankfurt skyscraper.
