The brother of the Manchester Arena terrorist has been given legal aid - but his victims haven't. Hashem Abedi, 22, will be represented by state lawyers when he goes to trial accused of 22 counts of murder for each of the victims killed.
But the families of the children and their parents murdered as they left the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 have been denied taxpayer money to help their cases.
The shocking revelation was made at a pre-inquest hearing into the death of their loved ones, reports The Sun.
In court in Manchester on Friday the victims' lawyer Paul Greaney QC told coroner Sir John Saunders: 'Bereaved families are experiencing difficulties in obtaining funding from the Legal Aid Agency.'
It echoes the problems experienced by families of the London Bridge terror attack's victims, who were also denied state legal funding. Brendan Cox, whose wife, Labour MP Jo, was killed by far-right extremist Thomas Mair, branded the decision 'twisted'.
Other hate figures who have been allowed legal aid include Lee Rigby's killers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, extremist preacher Anjem Choudary and jihadi bride Shamima Begum.
Families of the victims of Salman Abedi's suicide bomb have allegedly been told not to speak publicly about their ordeal ahead of the inquest, due to start in April.
Hashem has already been represented by Zafar Ali QC and Richard Wright QC at two separate court appearances. His solicitors are Yasmin and Shaid, who are based in Leeds and have previously run up bills defending terrorists of more than £3million.
The Ministry of Justice argues all defendants have the right to legal aid if they cannot afford lawyers in a criminal trial.
But the government department says bereaved families at inquest's do not have the same rights and therefore do not automatically qualify.
A spokesman claimed they still could be granted funding ahead of the inquest in April.
Hashem Abedi, who is from Manchester but found in Libya, will go on trial at the Old Bailey on November 5 charged with 22 counts of murder - one for each of the attack's victims. He is also accused of one count of attempted murder encompassing all the other victims and one count of conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.
