Ministers are trying to stop intelligence documents from being considered in an inquest into the deaths of two men killed during the 2025 Manchester synagogue attack. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and her legal team argued before a coroner that revealing MI5 files would pose a serious threat to national security. The attack occurred on 2 October 2025 at the Heaton Park Hebrew synagogue during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Melvin Cravitz, 66, was killed by multiple knife wounds from the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie. Adrian Daulby, 53, was shot dead by police while trying to hold the doors shut to stop the terrorist from escaping. The inquest will examine al-Shamie’s background, the government’s knowledge of him before the attack, and the security measures in place at the synagogue. The inquest, led by Chief Coroner Alexia Durran, is set to explore whether the state adequately assessed the risks to the Jewish community in Greater Manchester and how it responded to the attack. During a recent hearing, lawyers for the families of Cravitz and Daulby expressed concerns that the MI5 documents might contradict public statements by the government, which claimed al-Shamie was never known to counter-terrorism police or the security services. Anna Morris KC, representing Daulby’s family, noted a “demonstrable lack of candour” by security services in previous cases, such as the Manchester Arena attack inquiry. She emphasized the families’ concern that the government’s current application to block the documents could contradict its earlier public statements. Edward Pleeth, counsel for the inquest, stated that the government is seeking to withhold “potentially relevant security-sensitive material” held by MI5 and counter-terrorism police, arguing that its disclosure could cause “serious harm to national security.” The legal team for the inquest believes that the information is so sensitive it cannot be shared, even in a redacted form. Pleeth said there was “no adequate alternative to complete non-disclosure” and that the concerns about the material’s release were “well-evidenced.” Chief Coroner Durran is now considering whether to convert the inquest into a statutory public inquiry, which would allow the MI5 material to be examined in private, as coroner’s inquests cannot legally consider evidence given in secret hearings. Neil Sheldon KC, representing the Home Office, described the MI5 documents as a “discrete body of information” that could impact the inquest and noted that the request to block the information was “cogent, compelling and supported by detailed analysis.” Victoria Ailes, representing Cravitz’s family, said her family had “questions in this entire area” and were concerned that the new material came after public statements by the Home Secretary that al-Shamie was not known to counter-terrorism police or the security services. Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, wore what appeared to be a suicide vest during the attack and called 999 before pledging allegiance to Islamic State. Another man, Mohammad Asim Bashir, who had conducted hostile reconnaissance at a military base with al-Shamie, was recently jailed for life. A third man, Hekmat Omar Ali Hakim, was charged with failing to disclose information related to the attack and is set to appear in court later this month.