Moscow concert hall attack: Russian court charges four men with act of terrorism

NEW DELHI: Moscow’s Basmanny district court on Sunday charged four suspects—Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov—with acts of terrorism.
Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda, and Shamsidin Fariduni confessed to their charges. Faizov, the fourth person, appeared in court from the hospital in a wheelchair. He sat with his eyes shut during the trial, wearing a hospital gown and pants, AP reported.
The suspects, reportedly Tajikistan citizens residing in Russia, will remain in pre-trial custody until May 22, Reuters reported.Photos from the courtroom showed the suspects with injuries, including one missing an eye, another with a bandaged ear, one with a black eye and a ripped bag around his neck, and the fourth with a swollen face and seeming disoriented.
Russia also observed a solemn day of mourning as flags flew at half-mast, marking the deadliest assault within Russia in twenty years. President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a national day of mourning to honor the 137 lives lost, including three children, and the 182 injured in the Friday night massacre.
Putin said that 11 individuals, including the four gunmen, were detained following the attack. The perpetrators, attempting to evade capture, were detained near the border with Ukraine.
“They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border,” Putin said.
Scores of victims remain hospitalized, with some in critical condition. President Putin, visibly somber, paid his respects by lighting a candle at a church near Moscow on Sunday evening.

The assailants stormed the Crocus City Hall, where the popular Soviet-era rock band Picnic was scheduled to perform, opening fire on the unsuspecting crowd. Despite Islamic State claiming responsibility, President Putin has refrained from explicitly linking the attack to the militant group, alleging instead that the perpetrators attempted to flee to Ukraine with assistance from individuals on the Ukrainian side.
The attack, reminiscent of the 2004 Beslan school siege, has reignited discussions about security measures and responses to terrorism within Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, emphasized the government’s commitment to pursuing justice vigorously.
(With inputs from agencies)