A close friend of the Manchester Arena bomber who refused to cooperate with the UK public inquiry into the attack is set to be released on parole this week, according to The Guardian.
British national Abdel-Raouf Abdallah befriended Salman Abedi and visited him in jail in the months before the attack. He visited Abedi in prison twice and the pair were in regular telephone contact discussing martyrdom, the inquiry was told.
Abedi detonated a bomb after an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.
Abdullah has so far refused to speak to the inquiry about his links with Abedi. He is claiming legal privilege by refusing to answer questions that may incriminate himself, the hearing was told.