A UK tribunal has rejected a legal claim from more than 300 survivors of the 2017 Manchester Arena Arianna Grande concert bombing, which killed 22 people, including children, and injured more than 100 others.
The judges determined that the survivors' claims, based on Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5's alleged failure to prevent the bombing, were filed outside the legal time limit.
The claimants, who had accused MI5 of human rights violations, alleged that the agency's failure to act on key intelligence contributed to the devastating attack.
But the U.K.'s Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled on Friday that the claimants had waited too long to bring their case forward.
What Happened at the Ariana Grande Manchester Arena Concert?
The bombing, which occurred on May 22, 2017, as fans were leaving the concert, was carried out by Salman Abedi, a suicide bomber who detonated a knapsack bomb.
An official inquiry published last year found that MI5 had failed to act on critical intelligence that could have prevented the bombing, the deadliest extremist attack in the U.K. in recent years.
Abedi, who had been flagged as a 'subject of interest' by MI5 in 2014, was later removed from the agency's radar when he was deemed to pose a low risk.
The inquiry also revealed that one MI5 officer had considered intelligence about Abedi to be a potential national security threat but failed to share the information with colleagues in a timely manner.
What Intelligence Failures are MI5 Accused of?
Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, expressed regret in a rare televised statement, apologizing for his agency's inability to prevent the attack.
Despite acknowledging the 'horrendous impact' of the bombing, Justice Rabinder Singh, presiding over the tribunal, stated that it would not be fair to allow the claim to proceed after such a significant delay.
Singh emphasized the unimaginable grief and trauma suffered by the victims, particularly the families of the young children who perished in the attack.
However, he also noted that proceeding with the case could divert MI5's focus from its primary responsibilities.
The legal teams representing the victims expressed disappointment at the ruling, calling it 'extremely disappointing.'
In a joint statement, the three law firms said, "Our clients have had to endure continued delays but have done so with great patience and understanding, in the hope that transparency and justice would ultimately be achieved."
The rejection of the claim marks a setback for the survivors seeking accountability and further investigation into MI5's role in the tragedy.
While the legal battle appears to have ended for now, questions surrounding the intelligence agency's handling of the threat posed by Abedi remain a point of contention.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.
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