The Key West trial of six Cuban hijackers begins Monday. It is expected to be a politically charged trial, with U.S. policy at issue. Many Cubans believe the U.S. is too lenient on hijackers.

The plane, escorted by U.S. fighter jets, landed safely and the suspects tossed their weapons out. None of the 31 passengers or the six crew members was hurt. The defendants face life sentences if convicted.

The Judge has all but prevented a political defense.

The judge in the case, James Lawrence King, ruled in mid-November that the men's attorneys could not use Cuba's political or economic conditions as part of their defense. The men didn't appear to be under threat of harm, he wrote, and did not try to leave Cuba legally. Moreover, he said there was no proof that Cuba's living conditions necessitated a hijacking. ''Many Cubans live under such conditions, yet few hijack planes,'' King wrote.

The ruling triggered hostile reaction from Cubans in Miami who say it "robs the trial of context." Others disagree, and say the Cubans should be treated as terrorists.

Another bone of contention in the case is the Government's reluctance to allow defense witnesses to come to the U.S. to testify. Prosecutors believe that once here, they will defect and stay here. And the Cuban Government has decided that only prosecution witnesses may leave the island to appear and testify.

More details of the case are available here, in an article that outlines the plot with information obtained from post-arrest statements of the hijackers.