Hashem Abedi, 23, had refused to help plan the explosion, but was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.
The brother of the suicide bomber who set off an explosion at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, with 22 people killed and hundreds injured, was sentenced on Thursday (August 20) to a minimum of 55 years in prison.
Hashem Abedi, 23, had refused to help plan the attack at Manchester Arena but was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions. His conviction was postponed due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
His older brother Salman Abedi, who set off the bomb, died on May 22, 2017, bombing at the end of the concert as fans – including thousands of children and young people – left the pop star’s show.
Hashem Abedi refused to attend the court hearing for two days of self-punishment, which heard powerful testimony from the families of the victims, many of whom fought back tears as they described their grief.
Judge Jeremy Baker said the two brothers were “equally punishable for the deaths and injuries caused by the explosion.”
“Although Salman Abedi was directly responsible, it was clear that the defendant played an integral part in the planning,” Baker said.
The judge said that if the younger brother was over the age of 21 at the time of the explosion, he would have received a “full life sentence.” Instead, he was sentenced to a term of at least 55 years before parole can be considered.
“The suspect should clearly understand that the minimum term he has to serve is 55 years. He can never be released,” Baker added.
He added that there was an “important degree of premeditation” and that the motivation for the brothers was “to promote the ideology of Islamism.”
The brothers were born in Manchester to Libyan parents. They had traveled to Libya the month before the attack. Salman returned to the United Kingdom on May 18, 2017, when he finalized preparations for the attack. Hashem remained in Libya until he was extradited to Britain and arrested last year at a London airport.
Prosecutors said he played a key role in the attack, including ordering chemicals for the bomb and arranging transportation for the materials.
The Manchester bombing was the deadliest in a string of extremist attacks in London and Manchester in the spring and summer of 2017. Targets in London included Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, and a north London mosque.
Commenting on Thursday’s sentencing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Manchester attack was a “horrifying and cowardly act of violence targeting children and families.”
“Those who have been taken from us will never be forgotten, and the spirit of the people of Manchester who came together to send a clear message to the whole world will never deter terrorists,” Johnson said.
The youngest victim killed in the attack was just eight years old.
Caroline Curry, mother of Liam Curry, 19, took a photo of her son in court and focused on an empty dock on Wednesday.
“You took his future, my future, my future from my family,” she said. “All we have now is heartbeat and dreams of something like that.”
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
