Hashem Abidi, brother of suicide bomber who killed 22 at Ariana Grande concert, sentenced to 55 years

Hashem Abedi, the brother of the suicide bomber who set off an explosion at the 2017 concert of pop sensation Ariana Grande in Manchester, England was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Friday. 

The incident had led to the death of 22 people and injuring hundreds. Among the dead were seven children, the youngest aged just eight, while 237 people were injured. The attack was reportedly the deadliest in Britain since the 2005 London transport suicide bombings, which killed 52 people.

Hashem, however, had denied helping the Manchester Arena attack but was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and conspiring to cause explosions. 

The reason his sentencing was postponed was due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. For the uninformed, the bomb was set off by Hashem's elder brother Salman Abedi who died on May 22, 2017. The bomb was set off at the end of the concert as people were ready to leave after enjoying the show by their pop star. 

Reports in WION News state that both brothers were born in Manchester to Libyan parents. They had travelled to Libya the month before the attack. Salman returned to the UK on May 18, 2017, when he finalised preparations for the attack. Hashem remained in Libya until he was extradited to Britain and arrested at a London airport last year.

Hashem was not in court for the sentencing hearing, having refused to enter the courtroom where troubled families of victims shared the devastating impact the bombing had on their lives.