The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi has denied any involvement in the attack, a court has heard.
Hashem Abedi appeared in court on Thursday morning after being extradited from Libya to the UK on Wednesday. He is charged with murdering 22 people in the attack, with one charge of attempted murder and one of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.
His lawyer, Zafar Ali QC, said: “He denies any involvement in any of the alleged offences.” He added: “He did not oppose extradition. He wanted to come back to clear his name.”
Hashem Abedi, of no fixed abode, did not enter a plea. Wearing a grey top and white trousers, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and nationality.
Salman Abedi detonated a bomb contained in a rucksack at 10.29pm on 22 May 2017. The attack occurred on the concourse of the arena as thousands of music fans left an Ariana Grande concert.
More than 260 people were injured and more than 600 reported at least psychological harm.
The next hearing will be at Oxford crown court on Monday. Hashem Abedi will appear via video link.
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