Enlarge image
One of the three new suspected participants in the Moscow terrorist attack: Seven terror suspects in custody
Photo: Basmanny District Court press service / AP
On Sunday, the Russian justice system presented four suspects in the deadly terrorist attack on visitors to a concert hall near Moscow. The authorities have now imposed pre-trial detention on three other people involved. The Basmanny District Court of the Russian capital made this decision on Monday afternoon, state agency Tass reported.
This means that seven terror suspects are now in custody, including the four suspected shooters. A total of eleven suspects were arrested after the attack last Friday. The four alleged main perpetrators appeared before the judge on Sunday evening. There were injuries on their bodies that indicated torture by Russian security forces.
The men had severely swollen faces, lacerations and bruises. One suspect is said to be missing an ear, another had to be brought up in a wheelchair. The Kremlin left questions about torture unanswered.
In the attack, four men opened fire on visitors to the Crocus City Hall and then set the concert hall on fire. At least 137 people died and the total number of injured was 182.
Confusion of Russian propaganda
The terrorist militia “Islamic State” has already claimed responsibility for the attack several times. Western security authorities and experts believe the confession is credible and suspect the IS offshoot Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) was behind the attack.
Meanwhile, Russian propaganda is trying to establish an alleged connection with Ukraine, against which Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has been waging a brutal war of aggression for more than two years. However, there is no evidence for this claim. The Ukrainian leadership has also strictly rejected the allegations.
mrc/dpa