Four Men Charged in Moscow Concert Hall Attack Face Terrorism Charges
In a shocking turn of events, four men suspected of carrying out a brutal attack on a concert hall near Moscow, resulting in the deaths of at least 137 people, were arraigned in a district court late Sunday. The men, who were from Tajikistan but worked as migrant laborers in Russia, were charged with committing a terrorist act and remanded in custody until May 22.
According to reports from state and independent media outlets covering the proceedings at Basmanny District Court, the first two defendants, Dalerjon B. Mirzoyev and Saidakrami M. Rachalbalizoda, pleaded guilty to the charges. The other two defendants did not specify their plea. Videos of the men being tortured and beaten during interrogation circulated widely on Russian social media.
Muhammadsobir Z. Fayzov, the youngest of the men charged at 19 years old, was brought into the courtroom from a hospital emergency room in a wheelchair, wearing a catheter and an open hospital gown. Mr. Rachabalizoda, 30, had visible injuries from his interrogation, including a sliced ear forced into his mouth.
The attack, which occurred during a rock concert by the group Piknik, involved four gunmen opening fire and setting off explosive devices that caused the building to ignite and collapse. In addition to the fatalities, 182 people were injured, with over 100 still hospitalized.
President Vladimir V. Putin suggested a possible link to Ukraine, as the men were detained on a highway leading in that direction. However, the United States has attributed the attack to the Islamic State, an extremist jihadi organization that claimed responsibility.
The men charged in the attack have varying backgrounds, with one working in a factory producing parquet in Podolsk, just southwest of Moscow. The Islamic State has been known to recruit migrant laborers from Central Asia in Russia who face discrimination.
The court proceedings were partially closed to the press to protect sensitive information about the investigation. The men face a maximum sentence of life in prison for their alleged involvement in the terrorist act.
