Hashem Abedi: Brother of Manchester bomber denies 22 murder charges in first court appearance
Written by News on 19/07/2019
The brother of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi has denied any involvement in the terror attack during his first court appearance.
Hashem Abedi was charged over the murders of 22 people, one count of attempted murder and one count of conspiring with his brother to cause an explosion likely to endanger life after being extradited from Libya to the UK on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old, who was raised in Manchester, appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court in central London this morning wearing a grey tracksuit and glasses, flanked by two police officers and three security guards.
During the 15-minute hearing, he stood to give his name and date of birth to the court and confirmed he currently has no fixed address.
Asked for his nationality, he replied: “British.”
Zafar Ali QC, representing Abedi, said although his client was not required to enter a formal plea during the proceedings, he denied all the charges against him.
The names of all the victims were read out in court as the charges were put to Abedi.
Prosecutor Kathryn Selby said that because Abedi was charged with murder he had no right to apply for bail at a magistrates court.
Abedi was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned until a bail hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Monday.
Hashem Abedi left the UK before his older brother Salman Abedi detonated a homemade bomb as thousands of people left an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017.
Children were among the 22 people killed in the blast.
Inquests for those who died have been put on hold until the conclusion of any criminal proceedings over the attack.
The Libyan government had previously said they expected Hashem Abedi to be extradited to the UK before the end of last year, but his extradition was delayed due to fighting in Libya.
The country has been split between competing political and military factions since disputed elections in 2014, following the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Muammar Gaddafi.
Salman Abedi was born in Manchester after his parents fled the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
(c) Sky News 2019: Hashem Abedi: Brother of Manchester bomber denies 22 murder charges in first court appearance
