Arena bombmaker denies attempted prison murders
Hashem Abedi, a Manchester Arena bomber, has pleaded not guilty to the attempt to murder three prison officers in a terrorist attack. Salman Abedi, a 28-year-old man, is serving a life term for assisting his suicide bomber brother Salman Rabedi's murder of 22 people in the 2017 Manchester Arena massacre Hashem Abedi entered not guilty pleas on three counts of attempted murder, one of assault causing actual bodily harm and the other of having offensive weapons inside a jail. The accused offences were deemed terrorist
by the Old Bailey in London.
During the assault on HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12, chief Jocelyn Ledward KC said Abedi twice yelled Allahu akbar
- meaning "God is greatest Prosecutors suspect he assaulted four jail officers and was discovered with multiple makeshift knives. During the assault, Abedi has been accused of throwing boiling water at the officers. Three of the prison officers, two men and a woman, were admitted to the hospital, with two of them having stab wounds.
Abedi had three makeshift knives during the initial assault, and then recovered two more from his wallet, according to investigators. He was seen on video connection from HMP Belmarsh flanked by five jail officers dressed in riot masks and protective body armour. Abedi was dressed in a grey jail tracksuit. He called to announce his name and date of birth, as well as that he did not want to be legally represented. I don't want to attend anyway,
the accused told the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grub. "He will stand trial beginning 18 January 2027. Abedi was released in detention and will appear at the Old Bailey on January 30, 2026.
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