Russia charges four men with act of terrorism after deadly Moscow terror attack

Four suspects have been charged in Russian court over a terror attack at a concert hall which killed at least 137 people.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow on Friday.

The four male suspects have been charged with committing an act of terrorism, and were led blindfolded into a courtroom in Russia’s capital.

They were named as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.

A court statement said that Mirzoyev was named as a citizen of Tajikistan and ‘admitted his guilt in full’. Rachabalizoda, whose nationality was not disclosed, also ‘admitted guilt’, it said.

All four are to be held in detention until at least May 22, the court added.

Footage circulating on social media shows the moment three men were allegedly arrested on suspicion of carrying out the shooting. 

While the identities of those detained in the videos have not yet been verified, the Kremlin says they were the gunmen behind the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, in the northwest of the Russian capital, which left more than 130 people dead and dozens more wounded.

In the clips, one of the suspects is seen kneeling on the ground, shaking profusely as he is interrogated by Russian soldiers. 

Another is seen being led from the woods in a headlock, blood across his face after his captors are alleged to have cut off part of his ear and then attempted to feed it to him. 

A third is pictured sitting with his back to a wooden panel, answering officials’ questions with what appears to be a broken nose. 

Eight more people have been detained in connection with the shooting, which the Russian government claims was coordinated with the help of Ukrainian forces. 

Addressing the public more than 24 hours after the attack took place, President Vladimir Putin has vowed to punish those responsible. Some MPs have called for the introduction of the death penalty for terrorist acts.

The Ukrainian government has strongly denied any responsibility whatsoever for the atrocities committed on Friday night. 

The terrorist act has since been claimed by IS-K, an Afghanistan-based ISIS affiliate. US intelligence services have said it is ‘highly likely’ the group was indeed responsible. 

Survivors have recalled their horror as the first shots were fired at the concert hall.

One woman has described how she pretended to play dead beside the body of a girl who’d already been killed by the assailants.

Others have described how they hid in the venue’s kitchen, listening to the carnage outside.

Early reports indicate US intelligence services in fact warned the Russian government of an imminent attack as early as March 8, even advising their own embassy staff to steer clear of public venues – something that was in turn dismissed by the Kremlin as ‘blackmail’.

What would appear to have been a massive intelligence failure on part of the Putin administration, as well as unsubstantiated claims the gunmen were assisted by Ukraine, has opened the way for speculation Russian officials ignored warnings in order to drum up further support for the ongoing war effort ahead of anticipated further mobilisation should an attack indeed take place.

The Kremlin has since pounded Ukraine with such a barrage of missiles that air strike alerts were issued for literally every part of the country. 

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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