Manchester Bombers Brother Pleads Not Guilty To 22 Murder Charges

The younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has formally entered not guilty pleas to multiple charges of murder.

At an Old Bailey hearing, Hashem Abedi’s trial, which was due to start next month, was delayed by the courts until the New Year.

On May 22 2017, Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a suicide vest as music fans left an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 260 more.

His brother, Hashem Abedi, who was raised in Manchester, travelled to Libya before the attack.

The defendant, now aged 22, was arrested in Tripoli and was extradited to the UK in July.

He appeared at the Old Bailey before judge Mr Justice Baker for a plea hearing today.

It took six minutes for all the charges to be read out in court and for Abedi to enter not guilty pleas to each one in turn.

Abedi denied 22 counts of murder – one for each of the attack’s victims.

During the court hearing, the judge delayed the trial from November 11 to January 13.

The case is expected to go on for up to eight weeks.

The defendant allegedly made successful and unsuccessful attempts to buy bomb-making chemicals and is accused of being the bomb-maker for his brother.

Abedi is being held until trial at top security prison HMP Belmarsh