Libya REFUSES Home Secretary's request to extradite Manchester bomber's brother to the UK to face 22 murder charges over arena attack
- British police were granted a warrant for the arrest of Hashem Abedi Wednesday
- Officials have given Libyan authorities an extradition request for Hashem Abedi
- Hashem Abedi, brother of the bomber Salman Abedi, is in custody in Lybia
- Salman Abedi killed 22 after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22
- Both brothers travelled to Libya in April, before Salman carried out the attack
British police revealed last night that they have issued an arrest warrant for Hashem Abedi and prosecutors have asked Libya to extradite him to face 22 counts of murder at a UK court.
Hashem, whose brother Salman killed 22 people in an attack on a pop concert in Manchester in May, is being held by a group called 'Deterrence Force' in the war-torn North African country.
Ahmad Ben Salim, a spokesman for the group, said today: 'We will not extradite Hashem Abedi to UK authorities.'
He said there was no legal agreement between Britain and his group for this case to allow an extradition.
An extradition request has on Wednesday been handed to the authorities in Libya where Hashem Abedi, brother of the Manchester bomber Salman Abedi, is currently in custody
Hashem Abedi is understood to be currently held by a militia group in Libya. British Police were granted an arrest warrant for the 20-year-old on 22 counts of murder
Home Secretary Amber Rudd previously agreed to request the extradition from Libya.
Salman Abedi detonated his explosives at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May, with 353 people, including 175 children, around him in the foyer of the arena venue.
As well as the 22 dead, among the survivors 16 people were very seriously injured including suffering paralysis, loss of limbs, internal injuries, and very serious facial injuries involving complicated plastic surgery and two people remain in hospital.
In all 512 people were either physically injured or left 'profoundly traumatised' Mr Jackson said, with 112 hospitalised.
Police revealed on Wednesday that two of the most seriously injured survivors remain in hospital almost six months on. Hashem Abedi is also suspected of the attempted murder of those left injured as well as conspiracy to cause an explosion.
But the prospects of him ever standing trial in this country for helping his older brother plan the attack depend on sensitive dealings with a Libyan militia which is currently holding him.
Hashem is currently being kept in a prison in the capital Tripoli by the Special Deterrence Force (SDF), a unit that tackles terrorism and crime which is aiming to prosecute him there.
While the Government insists an extradition treaty with Libya is in place, there are doubts over whether it will be honoured following the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi in 2011 and the country's current division.
A Home Office official responsible for extradition requests has met with the acting Libyan Attorney General in Rome last month to discuss judicial cooperation on the case.
Both brothers travelled to Libya in April, before Salman (pictured) returned alone before carrying out the attack on May 22, which left 22 dead and hundreds injured after an Ariana Grande concert
Hashem and Salman Abedi travelled to Libya in April, before Salman returned alone before carrying out the attack on May 22.
His bomb has been described as 'substantial' in size, and he had put it inside a tin with the shrapnel, nuts and bolts, placed around it.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police and head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU) said: 'I can now say that following a review of the evidence by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), we have applied for and been granted a warrant for the arrest of Hashem Abedi.
'The arrest warrant relates to the murder of 22 people, the attempted murder of others who were injured and conspiracy to cause an explosion.
'Hashem Abedi is currently detained in Libya and the CPS has now requested that Libyan authorities consider his extradition back to the United Kingdom.
'We are grateful for the Libyan authorities considering this request.
'You will appreciate that we must not do or say anything that might prejudice a fair trial and that this remains an ongoing investigation.'
Mr Jackson said the warrant was issued by a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court in the last fortnight, approved by the Home Secretary and the extradition request handed over to the authorities in Libya.
Salman (left and right) killed 22 people – seven of them children - and injured or traumatised 512 more when he detonated a home-made device as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on May 22. Police revealed last night that two of the most seriously injured survivors remain in hospital almost six months on
Following developments in the investigation, Mr Jackson confirmed that 23 people had so far been arrested, 30 addresses had been searched and 11,000 exhibits were seized.
Officers have also taken 1,300 statements and more than 5,000 people were referenced in the inquiry.
GMP also have confirmed that they are currently working through 16,000 hours of CCTV and 8million lines of telephone data as part of their investigation, although they do not believe the Abedi brothers were part of a wide network.
The Abedi family, originally from Libya, fled during the Gaddafi dictatorship with his father returning to fight with opposition forces when the uprising began in 2011.
An extradition agreement between the UK and Libya had been agreed in 2009 but since the overthrow of Gaddafi the country has been split into warring factions with the United Nations-backed, internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) struggling to assert control over swathes of the country in the hands of dozens of different militias including ISIS affiliated groups.
Salman and Hashem Abedi (left, with brother Ismail, centre, who has been arrested in Libya) were both born in Manchester but travelled to Libya together on April 15 before Salman, 22, returned to carry out the attack
Police have previously said they do not think Salman Abedi was part of a wider network but believe others were involved in the planning of the attack and named Hashem as a suspect.
Following the announcement that the warrant had been granted by Libyan authorities, Mr Jackson was keen to provide an update on the families of the victims of the attack.
He claims the police are in 'constant' contact with families and they had been informed of the arrest of Hashem Abedi tonight.
Security Minister Ben Wallace said: 'This was a callous and evil act and the victims and their families deserve and demand justice. They must remain our priority and we will therefore not be commenting further so as not to jeopardise the investigation.
'We have been clear from the outset that we are determined to do everything in our power to ensure that those suspected of being responsible for the Manchester attack are brought to justice in the UK.
Salman killed 22 people – seven of them children - and injured or traumatised 512 more when he detonated a home-made device as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on May 22 (the scene pictured above)
'That is why the Home Secretary agreed to request the extradition of Hashem Abedi, who has been named as a suspect by Greater Manchester Police, and we continue to work closely with the CPS, police and Libyan authorities to return him to the UK.'
Hashem was arrested in Tripoli along with their father, Ramadan, 51, after the bombing. But the brothers' father - who fled the Gaddafi regime in the 1990s and sought asylum in the UK - is no longer being treated as a suspect by the Libyans.
At the time Libya's chief investigator said: 'All the signs point to Hashem being directly involved and collecting the materials for the suicide bombing that took a lot of innocent lives.'
Hashem is also understood to be suspected of planning his own attacks in Libya, including targeting Peter Millett, the British Ambassador in Tripoli.
Last month a Libyan security official at the prison said the impending trial was 'moving ahead', adding: 'It is highly unlikely Hashem will be handed over to Britain at this time or after the trial is completed.'
British officials fear if that happens, his evidence may not be admissible in UK courts - for example, if there are allegations he has been tortured.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has called on Theresa May to put pressure on Libya to bring Abedi back to Britain for trial.
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