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Blindfolded: A suspect is brought before a district court

Photo: Russian Investigative Committee / ITAR-TASS / IMAGO

Two days after the attack on a concert hall near Moscow that left at least 137 dead, the first two suspects were brought before a court in the Russian capital. As the Tass news agency reported, the two men were formally accused of involvement in a terrorist attack by the Basmanny district court on Sunday evening. They therefore face life imprisonment.

One of the suspects will be remanded in custody for two months, the Interfax news agency announced, citing the court.

Many police forces were deployed around the Basmanny District Court. One of the suspects was led into the courtroom blindfolded. When the blindfold was removed, a black eye was said to have been visible, reports the Reuters news agency.

Eleven suspects arrested

According to the Russian government, there were a total of eleven arrests following the attack. Four of them are considered to be the actual shooters. All suspects are foreigners.

Masked attackers broke into the packed Crocus City Hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk on Friday evening and opened fire. Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia claimed responsibility.

The Russian government initially did not comment on the IS confession. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin rather established a line of communication between the attack and Ukraine. According to him, the attack was carried out by four men who were then arrested as "they moved towards Ukraine." According to initial findings, a time window had been prepared there for them to cross the border, Putin said. Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack.

In the Crocus City Hall event center near Moscow, which has thousands of seats, several perpetrators shot randomly at visitors on Friday before setting the building on fire. According to the Russian Investigative Committee on Sunday, at least 137 people were killed, including three children.

Friday's attack was the deadliest on Russian soil in years.

jpa/AP/dpa/Reuters