Terrorist who played ‘important role’ in radicalisation of Manchester Arena bomber set to be released from prison within weeks despite still posing ‘high risk’ to the public

A jihadist friend of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi will be released from prison within weeks despite posing a ‘high risk’ of future terrorism – and fears he could even orchestrate a future atrocity.

Concerns about Islamic State extremist Abdalraouf Abdallah – jailed for organising the travel of fellow fanatics to Syria – were revealed by a Parole Board panel which rejected a bid for early release.

But, despite being viewed as a ‘high risk’, Abdallah must still be freed in November on completion of a nine-and-a-half-year jail term for engaging in conduct for preparation of terrorist acts.

Because he will be at the end of his full sentence, officials cannot dictate where he lives or restrict his behaviour.

Wherever the UK-born extremist – in a wheelchair after being shot while fighting in the Libyan revolution – is housed on release, officials believe he poses ‘a high risk of serious harm to the public, to children and staff’.

The Parole Board panel, who considered his early release bid, added: ‘The potential event could happen at any time and the impact would be serious.’

They also found that Abdallah ‘continued to present a moderate level of engagement with extremism… and having some capability to commit further extremist or terrorist behaviour’.

Robby Potter, one of the most seriously-injured people to survive the Manchester Arena attack, said he believes Abdallah will commit further extremist activity.

The 54-year-old, who was blasted through the heart with shrapnel, said: ‘It says it all about the authorities – they still think he’s a high risk but let him out. I don’t believe he’s going to stop as, even when monitored, these people stop at nothing.’

The public inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing found Abdallah played a ‘significant role in radicalising’ suicide bomber Abedi – although ‘there was no evidence’ of involvement in the attack itself.

Abdallah was jailed after turning the bedroom of his parents’ rented Manchester home next to a children’s nursery into a de-facto IS travel agency in 2014, arranging for extremists – including his brother Mohammed, now 33 and who later received a ten-year jail sentence – to be smuggled into Syria with cash and weapons.

Salman Abedi visited Abdalraouf Abdallah in prison four times and the inquiry heard the pair exchanged 1,300 texts over several years, discussing martyrdom.

Abdallah served almost all his sentence behind bars apart from when he was briefly released into supported accommodation in November 2020.

He was recalled to jail in January 2021 after making threats to a fellow resident, assaulting a female staff member and possessing an unspecified Class C drug.

Abdallah’s most recent early release bid was considered over four days of hearings in April and July, which included ‘closed’ evidence from the security services and testimony from two psychologists.

Abdalraouf Abdallah was jailed for nine-and-a-half years in 2016 for helping people going to Syria to join the Islamic State group

The Parole Board revealed how Abdallah joined a programme ‘intended to address the motivations behind his offending behaviour and the beliefs which enable it’.

But officials said the course ‘had not sufficiently reduced the risk he posed’.

In its summary, the Parole Board said it was ‘not satisfied’ Abdallah ‘no longer poses a risk to the public’.

It also ‘could not be satisfied that there has been any genuine change in Mr Abdallah’s extremist mindset’.

The panel added: ‘Abdallah continues to pose a risk of radicalising others.’

It is likely Abdallah will be subject to intensive monitoring.

Such a regime led to Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman, 20, being shot dead by surveillance officers when he went on a rampage 10 days after leaving prison.

While in HMP Belmarsh, Amman openly expressed ‘extreme views’ including an intention to become a suicide bomber and wanting to ‘kill the Queen’.

He was released half-way through a 40-month sentence for preparing acts of terrorism despite concerns he was violent and radicalising inmates.

During the Streatham attack in February 2020, Amman bought a knife and stabbed a man and a woman, who were both injured, before he was shot.

The Metropolitan Police wrote to Belmarsh’s governor in January 2020 asking if Amman’s release could be delayed but was told it was not possible, an inquest into his death was told. A lawful killing verdict was returned.

Abdallah, born to a Libyan father and Algerian mother and who grew up in Manchester, was injured in 2011 while fighting with Islamist militia the 17 February Martyrs Brigade.

Giving evidence to the inquiry in 2021, he said confirmed Ramadan Abedi, father of Salman Abedi, was part of the brigade.

Salman’s brother Hashem Abedi, now 27, was jailed for a minimum of 55 years in 2020 for his role in the arena attack in May 2017, when 22 people were murdered.