ADDIS ABABA, Jumada I 29, 1436, Mar 20, 2015, SPA -- An Ethiopian court sentenced an Ethiopian Airlines pilot to 19 years and six months in prison on Friday for hijacking his own plane and flying it to Geneva, more than a year after he surrendered to Swiss police and sought asylum, Reuters reported. The high court in Addis Ababa issued its ruling on Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn in his absence. He had been convicted in absentia on Monday. "The court sentenced him to 19 years and six months in jail for the crime he committed," Shimeles Kemal, the government's spokesman, told Reuters. Shimeles said an extradition request had been rejected by Switzerland and that Swiss authorities had said Hailemedhin would face charges there. There were no details on his current whereabouts. -- SPA 21:42 LOCAL TIME 18:42 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w