A man who hijacked a plane to Malta in 2016 was repatriated after serving his jail-term, the police said Friday.

The man had pleaded guilty to acts of terrorism and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

He is now prohibited from entering Malta.

The hijacked Airbus A320 flight, operated by Afriqiyah Airways, was traveling from the Libyan oasis city of Sabha to the coastal city of Tripoli when it was diverted to Malta and landed at 11:34 a.m. local time.

Afriqiyah Airways said when the plane reached a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet (10,980 meters), the pilot was told the hijackers were armed and wanted to land in Rome. Milad suggested landing in Tripoli, the hijackers refused, and a decision was made to land in Malta due to fuel limitations.

The airline said 117 people, including six crew members, had been on board the hijacked plane. Twenty-five of the passengers were artists, writers and intellectuals from southern Libya heading to a cultural forum in Tripoli.