A Russian court has formally charged four men with acts of terrorism, after at least 137 attendees were killed during a concert.
Identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov, the accused were brought to court under heavy security, displaying visible signs of severe treatment.
The Islamic State (IS) group has asserted responsibility for the Friday night massacre, distributing video evidence of the attackers inside the venue. Contrarily, Russian officials have insinuated Ukrainian involvement in the attack, a claim firmly denied by Kyiv as “absurd.”
During the court session, details emerged of the suspects’ harsh detainment conditions, including allegations of physical abuse and electric shock torture. Video footage leaked by Russian security forces showed the men, with Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda visibly injured, being escorted into the Basmanny district court.
The court’s statement revealed that Mirzoyev “admitted his guilt in full,” with Rachabalizoda also acknowledging his involvement in the act.
All four, reported by state news agency Tass as citizens of Tajikistan, are to remain in pre-trial detention until at least May 22. The attackers had stormed the concert hall in Krasnogorsk, igniting fires and causing the roof to collapse.
They shot at the crowd there, resulting in over 100 injuries alongside the tragic death toll.
The suspects were apprehended in the Bryansk region, approximately 400km southwest of Moscow, 14 hours post-attack, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Despite IS’s declaration, Russian authorities have yet to officially recognize the claim, instead suggesting Ukraine might have facilitated the attackers’ escape.
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International responses have varied, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing Russia’s accusations. The US has explicitly denied any Ukrainian involvement, attributing sole responsibility to IS. This incident marks another tragic instance of IS targeting Russia, following previous attacks, including the bombing of a Russian plane in 2015 and a St. Petersburg metro bomb in 2017.
IS-K, the offshoot believed to be behind the attack, operates primarily in Afghanistan and Central Asia. It has been vocal in its criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially concerning Russia’s military actions in Syria, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.
The group remains a potent threat, responsible for numerous attacks in the region, including those during the US withdrawal from Kabul in 2021.
