Russia showed the four accused of the attack that caused at least 137 deaths: they testified in court and three admitted their guilt

The four accused of the attack on the famous Russian concert hall Croco Town Hall, Where at least 137 people died, They were placed in preventive detention this Sunday after testifying before a court in the Russian capital. Three of them admitted their guilt.

Moscow’s Basmanny District Court formally charged the prosecution Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32 years old; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, of 30; Muhammadsobir Faizov, of 19; AND Shamsidin Fariduni, of 25, to commit a group terrorist attack. The crime carries a maximum penalty of life sentence. Vladimir Putin’s government showed images of the four for the first time.

Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda and Shamsidin Fariduni admitted their guilt after the charges against him were announced. Fourth, Faizov, was brought to court in a wheelchair straight from a hospital, and sat with his eyes closed during the hearing. While in the room, she received medical treatment.

At the hearing Mirzoyev said yes citizen of Tajikistan and who has three minor children. This detainee lived in the Moscow region with residence documents that expired three months ago, the TASS agency reported.

The presentation of the four before Justice took place on the night of the national day of mourning in Russia after the massacre that occurred on Friday, in the deadliest attack in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS).

Preventive detention of the accused, set until May 22nd It could be extended pending trial, the date of which has not yet been set.

The jihadist ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack perpetrated in the Crocus City Hall concert hall, but the Russian authorities continue not to mention this statement and point to a Ukrainian lead.

The death toll could rise as rescuers continue their search among the rubble of the building, set on fire by the attackers.

The attack has started at least 182 injured, of which 101 are still hospitalized and 40 in critical condition, health authorities reported.

The museums and theaters of Moscow remained closed on weekends, and the restaurants of the capital promised it Donate part of your Sunday profits to family members of the victims.

“People don’t smile anymore, there’s no more joy” Valentina Karenina, originally from Siberia but passing through Moscow, told AFP that she had gone to light a candle in a church near the famous Red Square, which was closed to the public this Sunday.

The jihadist group, which Russia fights in Syria and is present in the Russian Caucasus, has committed other attacks in the country over the past decade.

Heavily armed attackers broke into the Crocus town hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk on Friday night: They shot at the audience and set fire to part of the room.

Vladimir Putin tries to involve Ukraine

On Saturday, Putin promised to punish those responsible for the “ferocious terrorist act” and ensured it Four men trying to flee to Ukraine had been arrested.

These four people, all “foreign citizens”, were detained in the Bryansk region, on the border with Ukraine and Belarus, according to the authorities.

The FSB (Russian Security Service) said the suspects They had “contacts” in Ukraine and planned to flee to this country after the attack, but offered no evidence of this alleged link or provided details.

Kiev denied any link and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of trying to “place the blame” on Ukraine, amid the war between the two countries.

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson reiterated this on Sunday the jihadist group is solely responsible and Ukraine is not involved.

The American authorities reported this They had warned Russia, at the beginning of March, of a possible “terrorist” attack in a location in Moscow with “large concentrations” of people.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced this on Sunday France has raised its alert level to the maximum level for the attacks, due to the “threats weighing down” on the country.

According to the terrorism research group SITE, ISIS has released on its social networks a video apparently made by the attackers in which they appear entering the concert hall and shooting people.

On the streets of Moscow, some do not believe much in Ukraine’s involvement.

“I believe that Islamic extremists ISIS are behind this terrorist act. Ukraine also commits terrorist acts, but This is more in line with what Islamists do.” insisted Vomik Aliev, a 22-year-old medical student.

However, for Valeri Chernov, 52, the involvement of Ukraine and the West in the attack is entirely credible.

“Who is behind it? The enemies of Russia and Putin who are trying to destabilize power. It is indeed possible that Ukraine and the West used ISIS, he said.

Another outstanding question is Nationality of the perpetrators of the attack.

According to Russian media and MP Alexander Jinstein, some of the suspects are from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, on the border with Afghanistan.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon told Putin on Sunday who were behind the attack “they have no nationality, homeland or religion.”