Tajik nationals involved in the Crocus attack case have had their detention extended

The Moscow court has extended the detention of six suspects in the attack on “Krokus City Hall”.

As reported by the press service of the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction on November 19, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow granted the request of the preliminary investigation authorities to extend the detention period for those accused of committing a terrorist act at “Krokus City Hall”.

Now Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Fariduni Shamsidin, Dalerjon Mirzoev, and Muhammadsobir Faizov will remain in custody for another 3 months, until February 22, 2025. The total detention period for these Tajik citizens will amount to 10 months and 28 days from the moment of their arrest.

On November 21, the Basmanny Court of Moscow also extended the detention period for two more individuals in the case, Shahromjon Gadoev and Mustakim Soliev.

The court session was held in a closed mode for listeners and the press.

“At the moment, [Aminchon and Dilovar Islomo, their father Isroil Islomo, and Alisher Kasimov] have been recharged with charges under part 3 of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” said the lawyer.

According to media reports, charges have been brought against brothers Aminchon and Dilovar Islomo, their father Isroil Islomo, and Kyrgyz citizen Alisher Kasimov for a terrorist act, but they are now charged under part 3 of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (aiding terrorist activities). This article carries a penalty of 12 to 20 years in prison.

Gadoev and Soliev are accused of committing crimes under part 2 of article 205.5 (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization), paragraph “b” of part 3 of article 205 (a terrorist act resulting in death), part 1 of article 30, paragraph “a” of part 2 of article 205 (preparation for committing a terrorist act), part 4 of article 222 (illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition committed by an organized group), and part 3 of article 223.1 (illegal manufacture of explosive devices committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As previously reported, they are militants of the “Vilayat Khorasan” group, which is part of the banned international terrorist organization “Islamic State” in Russia, and were transferred to Moscow from Dagestan as part of the criminal case regarding the terrorist act at “Krokus City Hall”.

According to the investigation, brothers Aminchon and Dilovar Islomo and their 62-year-old father Isroil provided the attackers with an apartment for living, a car for transportation, and transferred funds. Kasimov stated in court during his arrest that he was also charged with renting an apartment to the defendants in the terrorist case. All four defendants deny their guilt.

Despite the objections of the suspects and their lawyers, Judge Boris Safarin decided to consider the cases in a closed mode and demanded that individuals not participating in the process leave the courtroom. “Let them know that we are not guilty,” shouted defendant Kasimov.

According to the investigation, Dilovar Islomo was the last owner of the car used by the attackers to escape.

Dilovar Islomov stated in an interview with the publication “Novaya Gazeta Europe” that he sold his car—a white Renault, which the suspects used to flee—one week before the attack. 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 “Krokus City Hall” from the media the next day.

It is unknown how the accused reacted to this court decision. However, some of the detainees previously disagreed with the court’s ruling and officially declared themselves innocent, but the court did not grant their petition.

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow reported that four of the accused admitted their guilt, and as a result, they were taken into custody.

However, it is unclear 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 hearing, they had bruises and signs of beating on their faces, one had an ear cut off, and another had a gouged eye.

Recall that on the evening of March 22, several individuals in camouflage opened fire with automatic weapons on people attending a concert by the band Piknik at the “Krokus City Hall” concert venue in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. According to eyewitnesses, the shooters also threw Molotov cocktails, causing a fire in the establishment. According to media reports, about 144 people died, including children, and more than 180 were injured.

Shortly after the incident, the “Islamic State” claimed responsibility for the attack.

After the attack on the “Krokus City Hall” concert venue, Russian authorities began to impose mass bans on Tajiks entering the country, and Tajik labor migrants in Moscow are being insulted and beaten by police and residents.

Labor migrants complained that employers fired them on the grounds that they were Tajiks, and they were denied entry into stores and buses. Videos of detained and deported Tajik migrants to Tajikistan are circulating on social media.