Moscow Terror Attack: 3 Suspects Plead Guilty in Court

MOSCOW: In a significant turn of events, three out of four suspects accused of carrying out the concert hall attacks in Moscow, confessed to the crime in a Russian court on Sunday.

The accused involved in the attack were officially identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30; Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19; and Shamsidin Fariduni, 25, by the Moscow's Basmanny District Court.

The court ordered that the men, all citizens of Tajikistan, should remain in custody until May 22, before their trial begins.

Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda, and Shamsidin Fariduni confessed to their involvement after being formally charged.

Faizov, the fourth suspect, was brought to the court from a hospital in a wheelchair. He sat with his eyes closed throughout the proceedings.

Medics attended to him in court while he wore a hospital gown and trousers. He was seen with multiple cuts.

The other three suspects appeared in court with heavily bruised and swollen faces. Reports in Russian media suggested that they had been tortured during interrogation by the security services.

One of the suspects, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, has a heavily bandaged ear. Media reported that during interrogation, he had his ear cut off.

The court session took place while Russian was observing a national day of mourning. This followed that attack on Friday at the suburban Crocus City Hall concert venue, which resulted in the deaths of at least 137 people.

The incident occurred when a group of gunmen fired guns inside a large concert hall in Moscow. The attackers also set the concert hall on fire.

The attack took place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin strengthened his control over the government with a huge win in the country’s elections.

In a statement posted on social media channels affiliated with the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS in a statement said that they targeted a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of Moscow, resulting in hundreds of casualties. However, the authenticity of the statement has not been confirmed yet.

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