China News Service, March 25 (Zhang Naiyue) "Mirzoev, as a member of an organized armed gang, participated in the shooting of Russian citizens in the 'Krokus City' concert hall. After that, the defendant set fire to 'Krokus City' City's buildings. Mirzoyev confessed."
On the 24th local time, the press department of the Moscow City Court told the Russian media that the suspect Mirzoev and others in the terrorist attack at the "Krokos City" concert hall in Russia had fully pleaded guilty.
On the 22nd local time, a terrorist attack in Moscow caused hundreds of casualties and shocked the world. As time goes by, more and more information becomes available about the identity of the suspect and how the attack occurred, but many questions remain to be answered before the truth emerges.
Four suspects arrested
Suspect 1: "The leader"
Mirzoev, a 32-year-old Tajik native, was the first suspect disclosed. In a video released by "Russia Today" (RT) editor-in-chief Simonyan, he was called the "ghoul leader."
Image source: Screenshot of video from the "Russia Today" (RT) website
According to "Russia Today", Mirzoev is a father of four children. He once applied for temporary residence registration in Russia, but it has now expired. He has repeatedly violated Russian immigration laws and has been on the radar of law enforcement agencies since 2011. Currently, Mirzoev lives and works in Russia semi-legally, sometimes leaving and sometimes returning.
"He can understand some (Russian) questions, but can only answer in his native language." RIA Novosti wrote. In the interrogation video, Mirzoev needs to communicate with the help of an interpreter.
According to Mirzoev's account, he stayed with friends in a small hotel for about a month. Nearly half a month before the incident, he met a man named "Abdullo" through telegram (an instant messaging software). This man suggested that Mirzoev and his roommate buy a car from a relative. and meet at transaction time. Later, they plan to use the car to rent out and make money.
Suspect 2: "Ears"
The second suspect is named Rachabalizoda. In the video released by the Russian media, his right ear is injured and bandaged. He is called "Ear" on the Internet.
Image source: "Russia Today" (RT) social media video screenshot
Rachabalizoda, a citizen of Tajikistan, was also questioned through an interpreter. Rachabalizoda is now 30 years old and has children. He did not graduate from high school and did not have a formal job. He claimed to have registered for temporary residence, but he could not remember where he registered.
"Russia Today" discovered that Rachabalizoda lived in Podolsk, Moscow Region in 2018. This year, he was fined 5,000 rubles for violating regulations by staying in Russia for more than 90 days. At the time, he was asked to "leave Russia in an orderly manner on his own initiative."
Like Mirzoev, Rachabalizoda admitted to the crimes he committed.
Suspect 3: "Killing for money"
The suspect Fariduni was born on September 17, 1998. He worked in a parquet factory in Podolsk and had an 8-month-old child.
Image source: Screenshot of RIA Novosti report
In the video previously disclosed by Russian media, Fariduni was shaking when being controlled by law enforcement officers. He confessed that he entered Russia from Turkey on March 4, 2024. "The document there (Turkey) expired, so I crossed the border and came here."
Image source: "Russia Today" (RT) social media video screenshot
A month ago, the recruiter contacted Fariduni through telegram and provided weapons. The recruiter sent him the specific location where the terrorist attack would be carried out and ordered him to shoot and kill him indiscriminately.
"I shot and killed people in the concert hall for money." Fariduni said that the reward promised by the recruiter was about 500,000 rubles (approximately RMB 38,700). Half of the money has been transferred to his bank card, and the other half has been promised to be transferred after the transaction is completed. But he lost his bank card while evading capture.
During his first interrogation, Fariduni said he didn't know why recruiters selected him.
During the investigation, RIA Novosti found that Fariduni had posted multiple photos online on February 23, and the photos were located in Istanbul, Turkey. Among the photos was a selfie of Fariduni, who appeared to be inside a mosque.
Image source: RIA Novosti social media screenshot
Suspect 4: "Eyes"
The fourth suspect, Faizov, suffered an eye injury during his arrest and was nicknamed "Eye" online. After his capture, Faizov underwent surgery at Bryansk Hospital and was wheeled into court in a wheelchair.
Image source: Screenshot of TASS report
Faizov, who was born in 2004, has a high school education, no criminal record and is currently unemployed. Previously, he worked as a barber in a barber shop in Ivanovo.
"He worked there for two months, then resigned and moved to another city." After the terrorist attack, the barber shop received a lot of insulting and threatening messages. "We did not maintain contact with him in any way. , know nothing about his life... We have no connection to this man. We don’t know what’s going on in his head.”
"Russia Today" stated that the video of the attack circulating on the Internet was shot by Faizov.
The media also speculated that Faizov was driving when the terrorist attack suspects fled. He knocked down an 8-year-old boy. Fortunately, the child's life was not in danger.
The boy's father told "Russia Today" that his family of four (couple, daughter, and son) went to a concert that day. After the shooting, they quickly managed to escape from the hall, slipped out of the building and ran to the street. But when they thought they were safe, the terrorists drove over at full speed and "it (the car) deliberately hit our son."
It is worth noting that the Russian media mentioned in the report that the four suspects suspected of direct involvement in the concert hall terrorist attack were all citizens of Tajikistan. However, the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 23rd saying that there was news that "Kroro" in Moscow region Tajikistan citizens were involved in the terrorist attack on the Kusi City concert hall. This is “false news.” Tajikistan has not received any official information from Russia regarding the involvement of Tajik citizens in the terrorist attacks.
Attack by "non-traditional terrorist organization"?
The Russian "Arguments and Facts" website stated in a report that Russian military reporter Yuri Kotenok stated on telegram that a terrorist who participated in the attack on the "Krocus City" concert hall had arrived on March 7. Check out the spot.
Kotenok said the information came from a photographer who worked part-time in "Krokus City" and spotted a suspect in the photos he took.
Image source: Screenshot of the report from the "Arguments and Facts" website
"Arguments and Facts" stated that the terrorists had visited the building where the "Krocus City" concert hall is located before carrying out the attack. They were very interested in the layout of the building, the location of security guards and the evacuation route.
The Russian newspaper "Izvestia" quoted a source as saying that the attacker "is not a terrorist organization in the traditional sense" and believed that "this organization was only established a few weeks before the terrorist attack."
Analysis said that two suspects in the "Krocus City" concert hall attack received instructions while traveling to Turkey, and the remaining terrorists were recruited in Russia.
"Preliminary information obtained by the investigation shows that the people who carried out the terrorist attacks only knew each other about three or four weeks ago. Before that, they did not leave any evidence of contact with radical organizations in public places or social networks." Anti-Terrorism Security Experts in the field say this makes it more difficult for intelligence services to prevent terrorist attacks in the preparation stage.
"The most likely thing is that they randomly selected the attackers. These people were short of money and became radicalized under the stimulation of the planners of the event." Experts said that the planners do not need to be in Russia, everything can be controlled remotely, "Proficient in all aspects Masterminds with recruitment techniques and psychological pressure can turn taxi drivers and hairdressers into terrorists."
Who is the "mastermind"?
At present, four people suspected of being directly involved in the terrorist attack at the "Krocus City" concert hall have undergone preliminary trial at the Basman District Court in Moscow. The court has approved the detention of the four people pending trial until May 22. If convicted, they face life in prison.
On March 22, local time, a shooting occurred at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of the Russian capital Moscow, causing serious casualties.
After this horrific attack, American media reported that the extremist organization "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall near Moscow.
On the 24th, the extremist organization "Islamic State" also released a 90-second video through its media, which was suspected to be a scene of a terrorist attack. In the video, a gunman committed an attack in the concert hall, and there was a fire burning in the distance. However, the attacker's face and voice were blurred and difficult to identify.
Qatar's Al Jazeera quoted an analysis by Jadoun, an assistant professor at Clemson University in South Carolina, as saying that "Russia's participation in the global fight against the extremist organization 'Islamic State' and its affiliates... marks Russia's becoming a major factor in the 'Islamic State'" opponent."
Jadoun believes that if it is clear that the terrorist attack in Moscow was carried out by an organization related to the "Islamic State", it shows that the organization hopes to achieve "the goal of developing into a terrorist organization with global influence."
However, the claim that the "Islamic State" launched the attack has not been confirmed by Russia, and Russia has not ruled out Western and Ukrainian suspicions.
After the terrorist attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said in a televised speech that the four people who directly carried out the terrorist attack and the shooters tried to hide and flee towards Ukraine after the incident. According to preliminary information, the Ukrainian side has prepared a "window" for them to cross the border.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy responded by saying that Russia was "trying to shift the responsibility for the attack on the Moscow Concert Hall to Kiev."
In addition, long before the terrorist attack, the U.S. Embassy in Russia issued an early warning on its website on March 7, urging American citizens in Moscow not to go out to crowded places, including concert halls.
After the attack on the 22nd, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator of the White House National Security Council, was asked about the incident and said that the U.S. government "did not have advance information about the attack on the concert hall." He also said there was "no indication that Ukraine or Ukrainians were involved."
Data map: Zakharova.
Regarding this statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova quickly questioned: "Why do Washington officials conclude that someone is innocent in the tragedy?"
Zakharova pointed out fiercely that if the United States has or has had reliable information in this regard, "then it must be transferred to Russia immediately"; if the United States does not have such information, it "has no right to issue indulgences to anyone." .
On the 25th, Zakharova also pointed out in a column published in the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that the United States intentionally or unintentionally intervened to form an extremist organization, and the organization launched terrorist attacks all over the world without restraint.
She said that in recent years, the extremist organization "Islamic State" has adjusted its plans and now mainly targets the enemies and opponents of the United States, including Iran, the legitimate government of Syria, and Russia. "It is really a strange coincidence." (over)