One faces up to five years in prison, while the other will be fined and deported. On March 27, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported the detention of a 26-year-old citizen of Tajikistan, Bahodur Zuhurov, on charges of “public justification of terrorism.” According to the investigation, Bahodur allegedly published a video of the […]
One faces up to five years in prison, while the other will be fined and deported.
On March 27, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported the detention of a 26-year-old citizen of Tajikistan, Bahodur Zuhurov, on charges of “public justification of terrorism.”
According to the investigation, Bahodur allegedly published a video of the terrorist attack at “Krokus City Hall” in a local Telegram chat, along with comments “containing signs of justification” for the attack.
The specific comments and whether Bahodur actually published them are unknown.
In a video released by the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Tajik migrant apologized and stated that “this will not happen again.”
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against Bahodur Zuhurov under part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the question of his arrest is being decided.
It has also become known that another citizen of Tajikistan, Ahmad Faizulokhonzoda, has been sentenced to a fine and deportation in connection with this case.
According to the press service of the St. Petersburg City Court, Ahmad Faizulokhonzoda was held administratively liable under part 3 of Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (violation of migration legislation).
According to the court, on January 19, 2024, Faizulokhonzoda arrived in the Russian Federation, obtained a work patent, and registered with the migration authorities not at the place where he actually lived. However, this was not what drew the court’s attention.
The press service of the St. Petersburg court claims that Faizulokhonzoda was part of a group on Telegram “where emissaries of the terrorist organization ISIS recruit individuals to commit terrorist acts in the Russian Federation. The individuals who carried out the attack at ‘Krokus City Hall’ on March 22, 2024, were recruited in this same online community.”
The court imposed a fine of 5,000 rubles along with compulsory deportation from the Russian Federation, and he was placed in a Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens, as noted in the statement.
The detainee is not available for comments.
Earlier, on March 24 of this year, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow arrested four individuals for two months on charges related to a bloody attack at “Krokus City Hall.” The court session was held behind closed doors. The defendants included four citizens of Tajikistan — 32-year-old Dalerjon Mirzoev, 30-year-old Saidakram Rachabalizoda, 25-year-old Fariduni Shamsiddin, and 19-year-old Muhammadsobir Faizov.
The Basmanny District Court of Moscow reported that all four admitted their guilt, and therefore they were taken into custody for two months.
However, it is unknown under what circumstances they confessed, as videos published on social media show that they were subjected to torture and brutal beatings; even during the court session, they had bruises and signs of beating on their faces, one had an ear cut off, and another had a blinded eye.
The law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan interrogated the relatives of the suspects in the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, and on March 25 and 26, journalists from Radio Ozodi visited the homes of Muhammad Faizov, Faridduni Shamsiddin, and Saidakram Rajabali-zoda in the cities of Dushanbe, Gissar, and Vahdat, but did not find their parents and wives.
Also on March 26, the press service of the Basmanny District Court in Moscow reported that a preventive measure in the form of detention had been chosen for 62-year-old Islomov Isroil Ibragimovich, 32-year-old Islomov Aminjon Isroilovich, and 24-year-old Islomov Dilovar Isroilovich on suspicion of committing a crime under paragraph “b” of part 3 of article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Terrorist Act).
The accused deny all charges from the Investigative Committee of Russia.
According to the investigation, Dilovar Islomov was the owner of the car used by the attackers to escape. His brother and father are suspected of aiding terrorism. According to Islomov, he and his brother Dilovar—the last owner of the white Renault—went to the police themselves after learning about the attack at Crocus City Hall the next day from the media.
The eighth suspect in the criminal case regarding the terrorist act at Crocus City Hall is a citizen of Russia, originally from Kyrgyzstan, Alisher Kasimov, who has also been arrested for two months.
It is reported that Kasimov was renting out a three-room apartment in Putilkovo. The advertisement stated that the apartment was available “exclusively for Slavs.” However, the apartment was ultimately rented by Faridduni Shamsiddin, one of the main suspects in the Crocus terrorist case. According to his relatives, they said they came to work in construction.
After the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, there were numerous reports that Tajik labor migrants in Russia were being insulted, beaten, and fired from their jobs. Tajik migrants claim that they are being denied entry to stores and buses. Videos of detained and deported Tajik migrants back to Tajikistan are circulating on social media. Russian law enforcement agencies have also begun to pursue, beat, detain, torture, and mass deport Tajik migrants.