Russia has pressed charges against four individuals accused of attacking a Moscow concert hall and causing the deaths of at least 137 people.
Three of the suspects were escorted into a Moscow courtroom, while the fourth was brought in a wheelchair. They have all been charged with committing an act of terrorism.
The Islamic State group, also known as IS, has claimed responsibility for the attack at Crocus City Hall on Friday and has shared video evidence.
Russian authorities have alleged Ukrainian involvement in the attack, although Kyiv has dismissed this claim as “absurd”.
The four men have been identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.
Video footage showed three of the suspects being escorted by masked police officers to the Basmanny district court in Moscow.
Reports indicate that all of them have been subjected to physical abuse, with leaked videos showing brutal interrogation sessions and suggestions that at least one of them was subjected to electric shocks.
Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda, who were identified in court, had visible injuries such as black eyes and bandaged ears. Mirzoyev also had a plastic bag wrapped around his neck.
Fariduni’s face was swollen, and Fayzov appeared to have lost consciousness as he was wheeled into court wearing a hospital gown. According to Reuters, Fayzov seemed to be missing an eye.
During their court appearance, the suspects were kept in a glass booth and guarded by masked police officers.
A statement released on the Telegram messaging service mentioned that Mirzoyev had confessed to his involvement, while Rachabalizoda had also admitted guilt.
The suspects are reported to be citizens of Tajikistan, as stated by Russia’s Tass news agency.
They will remain in pre-trial detention until at least 22 May, according to the court.
Four assailants invaded the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of northern Moscow, on Friday night and opened fire on some of the approximately 6,000 individuals attending a rock concert. The perpetrators also ignited fires that consumed the venue and led to the roof’s collapse.
Russian authorities reported that 137 individuals lost their lives and over 100 sustained injuries.
The individuals who appeared in court on Sunday were apprehended in the Bryansk region approximately 14 hours after the assault, as per Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Bryansk is situated around 400km (250 miles) southwest of Moscow.
The attack had already been claimed by IS, indicating that it was executed by a faction known as the Islamic State in Khorasan, or IS-K.
Subsequently, the group released distressing footage of the assailants firing at the audience within the concert hall. The authenticity of the video has been confirmed by the BBC.
Nonetheless, no Russian official has acknowledged the claim, instead insinuating – without substantiation – that the assailants received assistance from Ukraine and that Kyiv had facilitated their escape across the border into Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky refuted these allegations on Sunday, with his military intelligence directorate deeming it “absurd” to suggest that the individuals were attempting to traverse a heavily fortified border, swarming with hundreds of thousands of Russian troops, to seek refuge.
Adrienne Watson, the spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, attributed “full responsibility for this attack” to IS, emphasizing that there was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever.
In Russia, seven additional individuals have been detained on suspicion of aiding the assault.
Earlier this month, the US had cautioned Moscow about a potential attack in Russia targeting large gatherings, subsequently issuing a public advisory to American citizens in the country.
The Kremlin promptly dismissed the alert as propaganda and an effort to interfere in its presidential election.
Following the attack, Washington stated that it had no grounds to question the IS claim.
The organization took responsibility for the 2015 bombing of a Russian plane in Egypt, which resulted in the deaths of 224 individuals, the majority of whom were Russian citizens. Additionally, they claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on the St Petersburg metro in 2017, resulting in the loss of 15 lives.
According to security analysts, this group views Russia as a primary target for various reasons. These reasons include Russia’s involvement in dismantling the powerbase of IS in Syria while supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as well as Moscow’s involvement in two brutal conflicts in Muslim-majority Chechnya from 1994 to 2009 and the Soviet-era invasion of Afghanistan.
IS-K primarily operates in Afghanistan and certain parts of Central Asia, and its name is derived from an old term for the region.
This group is recognized as one of the most capable and active offshoots of IS, and they were responsible for carrying out deadly suicide attacks at Kabul airport during the tumultuous American withdrawal in August and September 2021.
