Manchester Arena: Ex-bomb suspect regained citizenship in MI5 U-turn

A erstwhile fishy successful the Manchester Arena bombing had his British citizenship revoked and past returned aft MI5 changed its presumption of his relation successful the attack, the BBC tin reveal.

Mohammed Soliman, 26, was arrested successful Libya aft being stripped of his citizenship implicit suspicions helium helped hole the May 2017 attack.

He appealed the determination and said helium was mistreated portion detained successful Libya.

But the authorities avoided a tribunal lawsuit by returning his citizenship successful 2021.

He has ever said helium did not knowingly assistance the bombers.

The Home Office declined to reply circumstantial questions astir the case, but said the UK has 1 of the world's astir robust counter-terror systems.

By not proceeding to a afloat hearing, the tribunal did not see Mr Soliman's claims astir sick attraction successful Libya oregon however helium came to beryllium arrested there, including immoderate relation played by British intelligence.

He was detained for 8 months, his parent said successful a constabulary witnesser statement.

The BBC has been told helium was arrested connected the ground of accusation from the UK.

Reporting restrictions preventing Mr Soliman from being named successful narration to these events person present been lifted aft the BBC wrote to the court, allowing the communicative to beryllium told for the archetypal time.

Twenty-two radical were killed and hundreds injured erstwhile Salman Abedi detonated a termination weaponry astatine the extremity of an Ariana Grande concert.

MI5 has said publically that its appraisal is that no-one different than Salman and his member Hashem Abedi, who is serving beingness successful prison, were knowingly progressive successful the weaponry plot.

During the aboriginal weeks of the constabulary investigation, implicit 20 radical were arrested.

A cardinal diagnostic of the lawsuit soon emerged: the Abedi brothers had asked respective friends and relatives to bargain chemicals utilized to marque the bomb.

Mr Soliman, who worked successful a takeaway with Hashem Abedi, was among them.

He bought 10 litres of sulphuric acid, utilizing his ain slope details and Amazon relationship successful March 2017.

The chemic was delivered to Mr Soliman's location and officers raided the spot aft the attack.

All those questioned astir buying chemicals denied knowing of the weaponry crippled and said Hashem Abedi had claimed helium needed assistance purchasing the products for morganatic reasons. None were charged and immoderate became prosecution witnesses astatine Hashem Abedi's trial.

However, Mr Soliman was not successful the UK oregon astir to travel back, truthful was not questioned by constabulary and did not supply his mentation of events.

He had flown retired of Manchester successful April that year, yet making his mode to enactment with household successful Benghazi, Libya.

In July 2017, the location caput Amber Rudd removed his citizenship. As is emblematic successful specified cases, she was acting connected proposal from MI5.

He was arrested by Libyan instrumentality enforcement the aforesaid month.

Mr Soliman appealed against the removal of his citizenship astatine the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

The authorities justified its actions by saying helium was an subordinate of Salman Abedi, mightiness person known astir the bombing beforehand, and mightiness person helped successful its preparation.

SIAC is simply a semi-secret tribunal and galore of its hearings and rulings are ne'er made public, due to the fact that they see delicate grounds which the authorities says it cannot divulge.

Mr Soliman's lawsuit took spot wholly successful secret.

It ended successful July 2021 without going to a afloat hearing. The past location caput Priti Patel "decided to retreat the decision" to deprive Mr Soliman of his British citizenship, according to the ceremonial papers which confirmed the move.

In doing so, she was besides acting connected proposal from MI5, but their proposal had changed - without Mr Soliman ever being questioned by British police.

As portion of the appeal, Mr Soliman claimed helium had been subjected to "detention and sick treatment" overseas aft his citizenship was removed.

The BBC has been told his apprehension successful Libya was yet due to the fact that of accusation from the UK.

He was not publically named successful the UK successful transportation to the lawsuit until Hashem Abedi's trial. His apprehension successful Libya, therefore, could not person been based connected accusation successful the nationalist domain.

It is simply a arguable contented due to the fact that British constabulary person not made ceremonial requests for suspects to beryllium arrested and questioned successful Libya, partially owing to the imaginable for allegations of torture and British complicity successful it.

Hashem Abedi was arrested successful Libya the time aft the arena attack, aft his member had been named arsenic the bomber. British authorities person denied requesting his arrest. He was transferred to the UK successful 2019, and aboriginal claimed helium had been tortured during questioning successful Libya.

His lawyers included these claims successful an unsuccessful effort astatine halting his proceedings successful 2020.

The families of 2 victims told the BBC however constabulary said that, if Mohammed Soliman was successful the UK, helium would person been tried alongside Hashem Abedi.

Caroline Curry from South Shields, whose 19-year-old lad Liam was killed, said that astatine the clip of the proceedings a elder detective had claimed Mr Soliman "would person been alongside him charged with 22 counts of murder".

Liam died alongside woman Chloe Rutherford, 17, whose household accidental they were told the aforesaid thing.

Both families deliberation detectives believed helium would not instrumentality and the claims would not beryllium tested. In fact, a charging determination had ne'er been taken.

After Mr Soliman's citizenship was restored, helium returned to Britain successful October 2021 and was arrested connected arrival.

He answered detectives' questions and denied knowing thing astir the weaponry plot.

In a witnesser statement, Mr Soliman said Hashem Abedi had pressured him to fto him usage his slope card, saying helium needed it to bargain car motor oil.

"I was not alert and did not fishy that Hashem and/or Salman planned to onslaught immoderate determination oregon idiosyncratic oregon transportation retired immoderate signifier of violent attack," his connection said.

Mr Soliman besides said his formation from Manchester had been planned earlier Hashem purchased the sulphuric acid, and helium was yet going to Libya, wherever helium was owed to enrol astatine university.

He was told by the constabulary helium would not beryllium charged with immoderate offence and would look nary further action.

The BBC attempted to interaction Mr Soliman for remark but has received nary response.

Greater Manchester Police declined to comment.

The Home Office said: "The government, moving with our world-class constabulary and information and quality agencies, volition ever instrumentality strongest enactment imaginable to support nationalist information and nationalist safety."

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