The younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber will face trial in November over his alleged involvement in the attack.

Hashem Abedi, 22, will go on trial at the Old Bailey in London on 5 November charged with 22 counts of murder. He is also accused of one count of attempted murder, encompassing all the other victims, and one count of conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.

The charges relate to the attack at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017. Abedi’s older brother Salman detonated a suicide vest as people left the show, killing 22 and injuring 260.

Abedi, of no fixed abode, appeared at Oxford crown court on Tuesday via video link from HMP Belmarsh for a preliminary hearing before Mr Justice Sweeney. He did not enter pleas and he was remanded in custody until the next hearing.

The court heard that the judge had granted a prosecution application under section 22 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, meaning Abedi will be interviewed by police even though he has already been charged.

Sweeney said Mr Justice Jeremy Baker would preside over the trial, and a plea and trial preparation hearing would take place on a date to be fixed in early October.



The defendant, who was raised in Manchester, was extradited from Libya this month after being detained there shortly after the 2017 bombing.