LONDON: The brother of a suicide bomber who killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017 on Wednesday refused to attend his sentencing hearing for murder.
A jury found Hashem Abedi, now 23, guilty of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiring to cause explosions at the gig in northwest England after a trial that ended in March.
The attack, carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, inspired by Daesh, was one of the deadliest terror attacks ever carried out in Britain, and left more than 200 people injured.
The defendant had sacked his legal team and refused to leave prison to attend the trial at the Central Criminal Court in London.
Judge Jeremy Baker said although he had been brought to court as required for the two-day sentencing hearing, he had refused to come to the courtroom and still had no legal representation.
“He has had every opportunity and has been encouraged to have legal representation. But he has made it clear and I am satisfied that he does not wish to be present at this hearing,” he said.
Family members of some of the victims and survivors were in court for the sentencing, which will determine how long Manchester-born Abedi spends in prison.
Others were following proceedings via videolink in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.
Judge Baker said he cannot be given a whole-life term — ensuring he would never be released — because he was aged under 21 at the time of the offenses.
Hashem Abedi was in Libya when the attack took place at the Manchester Arena on the evening of May 22, 2017, but his trial heard he had helped his brother plan it for several months.
He obtained chemicals for the homemade bomb, found an address to make and store it, and bought a car to transport the materials.
Detectives who investigated the blast said both brothers were equally responsible and called them “proper jihadis.”
Manchester bomber’s brother snubs sentencing hearing
https://arab.news/6v39x
Manchester bomber’s brother snubs sentencing hearing
- The defendant had sacked his legal team and refused to leave prison to attend the trial at the Central Criminal Court in London
- Detectives who investigated the blast said both brothers were equally responsible
US allies, foes alarmed by capture of Venezuela’s Maduro
- Countries such as Russia and China, which had ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation but alarm also shared by France and EU
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes
PARIS: The US military operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday sparked alarm across the international community, with allies and foes of Washington and Caracas expressing disquiet.
US President Donald Trump said Maduro and his wife would be taken to New York to face federal charges after military strikes and an operation which he described as looking like a “television show.”
The Venezuelan government decried what it termed a “extremely serious military aggression” by Washington and declared a state of emergency.
Countries such as Russia and Iran, which had longstanding ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation but their alarm was also shared by Washington’s allies including France and the EU.
Here is a rundown of the main reaction.
Russia
Russia demanded the US leadership “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife.”
China
Beijing said “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president.”
Iran
Iran, which Trump bombed last year, said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Mexico
Mexico, which Trump has also threatened with military force over drug trafficking, strongly condemned the US military action in Venezuela, saying it “seriously jeopardizes regional stability.”
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro — whose country neighbors Venezuela — called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed the US attacks as a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Cuba
Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
Spain
Spain offered to mediate in the crisis to find a way to a peaceful solution, while calling for “de-escalation and restraint.”
France
France condemned the US operation, saying it undermined international law and no solution to Venezuela’s crisis can be imposed from the outside.
EU
The EU more generally expressed concern at the developments and urged respect for international law, even as it noted that Maduro “lacks legitimacy.”
EU candidate country North Macedonia, along with fellow Balkan nations Albania and Kosovo, backed Washington, however.
“We stand with the United States and the Venezuelan people for freedom and democracy,” North Macedonia FM Timco Mucunski said on X.
Britain
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all countries should “uphold international law” and added that “the UK was not involved in any way in this operation” as he urged patience in order to “establish the facts.”
Italy
In a rare expression of support for the US operation by a major European country, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a Trump ally — argued the US military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive.”
Israel
Israel also hailed the operation, saying Washington acted as the “leader of the free world.”
Ukraine
Ukraine — dependent on US support in its war against invading Russia — did not address the legality of a big country like America using military force against a much smaller one like Venezuela.
Foreign minister Andriy Sybiga instead focused on Maduro’s lack of legitimacy and the Venezuelan government’s repression, while backing “democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
South Africa
South Africa, which Trump accuses of alleged discrimination — and even “genocide” — of minority white Afrikaners, said: “Unlawful, unilateral force of this nature undermines the stability of the international order and the principle of equality among nations.”
UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes, with his spokesman quoting him as saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
