Brother of Manchester Arena bomber to deny being part of terror plot

The brother of the suicide bomber who blew himself up at the Manchester Arena in 2017 has appeared in court charged with the murder of 22 people.

Hashem Abedi, 22, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court after he was extradited from Libya on Wednesday.

He is the first person to be charged in connection with the terror attack which resulted in the deaths of 22 people and injured more than 260.

He travelled to his parents' home country of Libya in the days before the attack, but was arrested by a militia force in Tripoli a short time later.

Bespectacled Abedi was brought into the dock shortly before 10am, wearing a grey sweatshirt and white trousers.

He was flanked by three security guards and two Metropolitan Police officers.

Abedi spoke only to confirm his name, age and nationality as British. He also confirmed he was of no fixed abode.

Abedi’s brother, Salman, detonated a bomb contained in a rucksack during an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017.

The charges relate to allegations that Abedi helped purchase some of the chemicals that his brother used in order to build the improvised explosive device, including sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

It is also alleged he helped purchase a Nissan Micra car that was used to help store the explosive device and was involved in the manufacture of the detonator tubes used in the attack.

Outlining the charges, Kathryn Selby, prosecuting said: "Mr Abedi has been charged with 24 offences. 22 relate to offences of murder. They are the murder of 22 people following the bombing of the Manchester Arena on the 22 May 2017.

"Count 23 relates to the attempted murder of others at the arena. Count 24 is that the defendant conspired with Salman Abedi to cause an explosion contrary to the explosive act 1883."

She added: "The charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service on 31 July 2017. Count 24 requires the Attorney General’s consent and that was given on the 2 August 2017."

Ms Selby went on: "The court will be aware that in October 2017 an extradition request from the UK to Libya was issued. As a result of the that request, Mr Abedi has been in custody in Libya since 23 May 2017."

The prosecutor said because the charges were of murder no bail application could be made at magistrates court and so the case will be sent to the Central Criminal Court.

Outlining the case Ms Selby said as well as the 22 people killed at the Manchester Arena, more than 260 had been injured, some of them life changing, and more than 600 had reported psychological trauma.

Zafar Ali QC, defending, told the court that his client denied all the charges and had not opposed extradition.

"He denies any involvement in any of the criminal alleged offences," he said.

"When he was arrested in Tripoli he wanted to come back to the UK. He did not oppose extradition. He denies the charges."

The clerk of the court then read out each of the the charges to Adedi listing the names of all 22 people killed in the attack.

Emma Arbuthnot, told Mr Abedi that he would next appear on Monday 22 July at Oxford Crown Court via video link for a bail application.

The next preliminary hearing will take place at the Old Bailey on 30 July.

On Wednesday, Sadek al-Sour, Libya's prosecutor, said the decision to finally extradite Abedi was made after he had a chance to argue his case in Libya's court of appeal.

British police officers travelled to Tripoli on Wednesday in order to collect him and he was flown back to Biggen Hill airport on Wednesday afternoon.

Abedi was extradited from Libya in what is understood to be a deal that UK officials would protect Tripoli amid the raging civil war in the country, according to the Daily Mirror.