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Libya Says It Handed Over Manchester Bomber’s Brother to U.K.

Libya Says It Handed Over Manchester Bomber’s Brother to U.K.

(Bloomberg) -- Libya has handed over Hashem Abedi, the brother of the suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester, to U.K. authorities, according to Siddiq al Sour, a top Libyan prosecutor.

The U.K. had requested Abedi’s extradition in 2017 to face trial for his alleged involvement in the attack. His brother Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the Manchester Arena on May 22 of that year at an Ariana Grande concert. In addition to the 22 dead, more than 100 people were injured.

Sour told Bloomberg on Wednesday that a Libyan investigation determined that Hashem was the “planner” of the attack claimed by Islamic State. He was extradited in accordance with a treaty with Britain after a ruling by Libya’s court of appeal.

The dual Libyan-British national was extradited because “he has a U.K. passport and committed the crime in the U.K.,” outside Libya’s jurisdiction, Sour said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Samer Khalil Al-Atrush in Cairo at skhalilalatr@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net

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