Latest news with #SalmanAbedi
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Manchester terrorist was granted taxpayer money in religious discrimination claim
The Manchester Arena terrorist who seriously injured three prison officers in a knife attack was granted £1,200 in taxpayers' money for legal aid to pursue a complaint of religious discrimination. Hashem Abedi's lawyers were granted the money to fight the complaint, which he lodged from his high-security prison cell. It was rejected by the Ministry of Justice, and he did not pursue it any further. It came on top of the legal aid his lawyers got to fight his trial defence, even though he refused to take part in the court process. Figures disclosed under freedom of information laws showed the funds paid to his legal team now stand at £354,015. The alleged religious discrimination happened before Abedi, serving a life sentence for his part in 22 murders in the Manchester Arena attack, used two home-made knives and hot cooking oil to assault three prison officers at high-security HMP Frankland, in County Durham. He was being held in a separation unit for Islamist prisoners when he mounted the attack, and has since been moved to HMP Belmarsh, in south London. It is understood the case concerned a claim lodged on March 28 last year regarding searches of religious headwear. He was jailed in 2020 for a minimum of 55 years for helping his suicide bomber brother Salman kill 22 Ariana Grande fans in 2017. In 2022, he was given another three years and 10 months for attacking two officers at Belmarsh Prison. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: 'This is just another outrageous example of taxpayers' money being wasted on a convicted mass killer.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Hashem Abedi never received a penny of taxpayers' money – legal aid went directly to lawyers. We resisted his legal claim, and he did not pursue it further.' MoJ sources said the £1,256 civil legal aid was paid directly to legal representatives, not to Abedi himself. The MoJ strongly denied liability, and no damages or additional legal costs were paid by it. Officials said the Legal Aid Agency operates independently from ministers when making decisions on individual applications for funding. Civil legal aid is subject to a merits test and a strict means test based on eligibility criteria set out in legislation.
ITV News
22-05-2025
- ITV News
Arena attack victims remembered eight years on from bombing
Moments of silence will be observed in Manchester as the city marks eight years since the terror attack which claimed the lives of 22 people. Manchester City Council said a minute's silence would be observed twice at Victoria Station on Thursday 22 May - at midday and again at 10.31pm - the exact time of the attack in 2017. 22 people were killed and hundreds more were injured after suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Writing book 'lifted us' say Arena victim Saffie-Rose Roussos' parents The names of those who lost their lives will be read out during services at Manchester Cathedral at 1.10pm (Holy Communion) and 5.30pm (Choral Evensong.) The cathedral will be open throughout the day for prayers and reflection. The Glade of Light memorial. Representatives from the City Council including leader Cllr Bev Craig, will lay flowers at the Glade of Light memorial on behalf of the city. The permanent memorial has the names of the 22 victims written into stone which forms a halo around a central garden. Cllr Bev Craig said the "city will never forget those who were lost that day" and the attack "was one of the darkest days in Manchester's history". The Council leader said: "The aftermath also showed the city's remarkable solidarity and Mancunians' refusal to give in to those who would seek to divide us. 'We will never forget those who were lost that day, their loved ones, those who were injured and everyone who was affected. "We remember them throughout the year but each anniversary is especially poignant.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arena inquiry chairman to meet MI5 over progress
The chairman of the inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has said he hopes to get "acceptable answers" from MI5 at a meeting to discuss what steps have been taken to prevent further attacks. Sir John Saunders made a range of recommendations to the security service after hearing evidence about the suicide May 2017 attack. On the eighth anniversary of the bombing, Sir John said there needed to be public accountability after MI5 admitted missing a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the bombing. He has now revealed he is due to meet MI5 in June to discuss his recommendations, which were published more than two years ago. "If I get what I regard as acceptable answers from the security service in June, I'm very happy to go public," said Sir John in his first interview since the inquiry concluded. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive in the foyer of the arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert. The public inquiry, which opened in September 2020 and published its findings in 2023, was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing. After hearing from 291 witnesses and considering 172,000 pages of evidence, Sir John published three reports into his findings. The final report outlined how the attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months beforehand. MI5 chief Ken McCallum previously said he was "profoundly sorry". Who are the victims of the Manchester Arena attack? In July 2023, Sir John raised concerns that progress on some of the recommendations including the provision of emergency care and CCTV operation had been slow. He told BBC North West Tonight the "good news" was that "by and large" steps had been taken. Sir John also said the evidence during the inquiry had had a profound effect on him. "Having been a criminal judge and a criminal lawyer, I've listened to a lot of horrific evidence but the evidence in the Manchester Arena inquiry was incredibly moving," he said. "The personal statements by the bereaved were incredibly moving but there were other very moving parts as well. "Hard-bitten policemen who had found themselves [at the scene], not knowing what to do to try and stem the bleeding, believing the paramedics were coming any minute now and them not coming. "They were still in tears giving evidence about it a number of years later." He said it was important for the bereaved families that the recommendations were "followed up and are carried out". "It would just be awful for them as well as for the rest of us to lose those lessons." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Bombing inquiry chairman raises progress concerns Bomb inquiry recommendation delays 'heartbreaking' MI5 'profoundly sorry' it did not stop arena bomb Manchester attack: The victims
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arena inquiry chairman to meet MI5 over progress
The chairman of the inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has said he hopes to get "acceptable answers" from MI5 at a meeting to discuss what steps have been taken to prevent further attacks. Sir John Saunders made a range of recommendations to the security service after hearing evidence about the suicide May 2017 attack. On the eighth anniversary of the bombing, Sir John said there needed to be public accountability after MI5 admitted missing a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the bombing. He has now revealed he is due to meet MI5 in June to discuss his recommendations, which were published more than two years ago. "If I get what I regard as acceptable answers from the security service in June, I'm very happy to go public," said Sir John in his first interview since the inquiry concluded. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive in the foyer of the arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert. The public inquiry, which opened in September 2020 and published its findings in 2023, was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing. After hearing from 291 witnesses and considering 172,000 pages of evidence, Sir John published three reports into his findings. The final report outlined how the attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months beforehand. MI5 chief Ken McCallum previously said he was "profoundly sorry". Who are the victims of the Manchester Arena attack? In July 2023, Sir John raised concerns that progress on some of the recommendations including the provision of emergency care and CCTV operation had been slow. He told BBC North West Tonight the "good news" was that "by and large" steps had been taken. Sir John also said the evidence during the inquiry had had a profound effect on him. "Having been a criminal judge and a criminal lawyer, I've listened to a lot of horrific evidence but the evidence in the Manchester Arena inquiry was incredibly moving," he said. "The personal statements by the bereaved were incredibly moving but there were other very moving parts as well. "Hard-bitten policemen who had found themselves [at the scene], not knowing what to do to try and stem the bleeding, believing the paramedics were coming any minute now and them not coming. "They were still in tears giving evidence about it a number of years later." He said it was important for the bereaved families that the recommendations were "followed up and are carried out". "It would just be awful for them as well as for the rest of us to lose those lessons." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Bombing inquiry chairman raises progress concerns Bomb inquiry recommendation delays 'heartbreaking' MI5 'profoundly sorry' it did not stop arena bomb Manchester attack: The victims
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Manchester attack inquiry chairman to meet MI5 over progress
The chairman of the inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has said he hopes to get "acceptable answers" from MI5 at a meeting to discuss what steps have been taken to prevent further John Saunders made a range of recommendations to the security service after hearing evidence about the suicide May 2017 the eighth anniversary of the bombing, Sir John said there needed to be public accountability after MI5 admitted missing a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the has now revealed he is due to meet MI5 in June to discuss his recommendations, which were published more than two years ago. "If I get what I regard as acceptable answers from the security service in June, I'm very happy to go public," said Sir John in his first interview since the inquiry people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive in the foyer of the arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande public inquiry, which opened in September 2020 and published its findings in 2023, was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing. After hearing from 291 witnesses and considering 172,000 pages of evidence, Sir John published three reports into his final report outlined how the attack might have been prevented if MI5 had acted on key intelligence received in the months chief Ken McCallum previously said he was "profoundly sorry".Who are the victims of the Manchester Arena attack?In July 2023, Sir John raised concerns that progress on some of the recommendations including the provision of emergency care and CCTV operation had been told BBC North West Tonight the "good news" was that "by and large" steps had been taken. Sir John also said the evidence during the inquiry had had a profound effect on him."Having been a criminal judge and a criminal lawyer, I've listened to a lot of horrific evidence but the evidence in the Manchester Arena inquiry was incredibly moving," he said."The personal statements by the bereaved were incredibly moving but there were other very moving parts as well."Hard-bitten policemen who had found themselves [at the scene], not knowing what to do to try and stem the bleeding, believing the paramedics were coming any minute now and them not coming."They were still in tears giving evidence about it a number of years later."He said it was important for the bereaved families that the recommendations were "followed up and are carried out"."It would just be awful for them as well as for the rest of us to lose those lessons." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
