Face of Nation : Hashem Abedi was arrested for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and he will be transferred into police custody in London, according to Greater Manchester Police.
He fled the UK in the days before his older brother Salman Abedi carried out a suicide bombing as thousands of people left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May, 2017. He was arrested in Libya shortly after his brother blew himself up at the arena, killing 22 people.
“The Crown Prosecution Service successfully applied for the extradition of Hashem Abedi from Libya and today he has been extradited for offences relating to the Manchester Arena attack,” GMP Chief Constable said.
“He was handed over by Libyan authorities to British police officers this morning. “They escorted him on the flight back and they landed in the United Kingdom a short while ago.”
Information published by Libyan military group Rada two days after his detention claimed Hashem Abedi was a member of Islamic State, and was the younger of the two brothers.
It said he was born in Manchester and was a university engineering student in the city – which he left days before the terror attack, but was in constant contact with his brother.
The families of the victims of the Manchester Arena attack were the first people to be told about his return to the UK by Greater Manchester Police this morning.
It is understood police explained the operation to bring Hashem Abedi back to the UK from Libya needed to be kept secret due to the ongoing civil conflict in the country.
Britain requested his extradition in 2017 to face charges over his alleged involvement in the bombing. It came after police issued an arrest warrant against him for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion.
Children were among those killed when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena two years ago. The 22-year-old was born in Manchester after his parents fled the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
In July last year it emerged that he and his brother Hashem, plus around 100 other stranded British citizens, were rescued from the Libyan civil war by the Royal Navy. Salman Abedi was being monitored by UK security forces until a month before the evacuation.
The Libyan government had previously said they expected Hashem Abedi – now reportedly aged 22 – to be extradited to the UK before the end of last year, but his extradition was delayed due to fighting in Libya. Rada – which has been holding him since his arrest – is allied with a UN-recognised government in the capital.
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.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: “Hashem Abedi has now landed on UK soil. His successful extradition from Libya is an important step forward in the investigation into his brother’s evil terror attack at Manchester Arena.
“I pay tribute to all those who have worked tirelessly on this case. My thoughts remain with the victims and their families who have endured so much. Wherever they are, whoever they are, I will always do all I can to bring suspected terrorists to justice.” Theresa May, in her final major speech as prime minister, said: “This is clearly an important moment in the investigation. I hope it is a welcome step for the loved ones of all the victims.”
