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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 four suspects were brought before a court in the Russian capital. As the Tass news agency reported, the men were formally accused of involvement in a terrorist attack by the Basmanny district court on Sunday evening. They therefore face life imprisonment.

All four suspects are to be remanded in custody for two months on the order of the court. The court announced this on Telegram and the Interfax news agency, citing the court.

Suspects have head injuries

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.

In further images from the court, which the independent media “Mediazona English” published on X, it can be seen that violence was inflicted on the suspects. A suspected perpetrator appears in court with a large bandage on his head. His ear is said to have been cut off beforehand. A third suspect has to be pushed into the courtroom in a wheelchair in the presence of doctors.

According to the AP news agency, two of the four men are said to have confessed to the crime. However, given the condition of the suspects, it seems questionable whether the statements were made voluntarily.

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 jihadist militia “Islamic State” (IS) 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/fek/AP/AFP/dpa/Reuters