The man who helped his older brother commit a bloody suicide bombing in Manchester was sentenced to at least 55 years in prison. The 23-year-old Hashem Abedi encouraged and helped his brother Salman, and was therefore already found guilty of murder.
Muslim extremist Salman Abedi blew himself up at the Manchester Arena in 2017. Their parents came to pick up their children after a concert by the American singer Ariana Grande. Twenty-two people were killed, including children. Hundreds of people were injured.
Hashem was not in the United Kingdom when his brother blew up. The twenties traveled to Libya before the massacre, where the local authorities arrested him and sent him back after the attack. He refused to leave his cell at his trial when next of kin came to testify.
Some parents cried according to the BBC when they told in court about the loss of their children. People there also held up photos of young victims. The mother of a dead girl called the attack a “horrible and cowardly act that changed our lives forever”.
The judge said the despair of the bereaved was palpable. Hashem disappears behind bars for at least 55 years and is then eligible for release. The court could not sentence him to life imprisonment because he was younger than 21 at the time of the attack.
