WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- A Philippine citizen has been extradited to the United States to stand trial for kidnapping 16 people, four of them U.S. citizens, in 1995.
Madhatta Haipe was arrested Thursday when he arrived in the United States, the Justice Department said.
Haipe, professor of Islamic studies at Mindanao State University, allegedly led an armed group that took hostages, some of them children, and threatened to kill any who tried to escape.
A seven-count indictment was filed in November in the District of Columbia.
The kidnappers were paid thousands of dollars in ransom for the release of the hostages, U.S. officials said. Some were freed to facilitate the ransom payment and told the remaining hostages would be killed if any military action was taken against the group.
"With this extradition, we hope to finally bring justice for the U.S. and Philippine victims who were held hostage and repeatedly threatened with death during this crime," said David Kris, assistant U.S. attorney general for national security.
