Investigation into the attack on “Krokus” has been completed

The Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) has completed the investigation into the case of the armed attack on the Crocus City Hall shopping center in the Moscow region, which occurred on March 22, 2024.

According to the agency’s press service, the case has been sent to the prosecutor’s office for transfer to court.

According to the investigation, the attack “was planned and carried out in the interests of the leadership of Ukraine with the aim of destabilizing the political situation” in Russia. Kyiv has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incident.

At that time, the terrorist group ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.

The ICR is confident that the preparation for the attack at “Crocus” took several months, and some of the suspects arrived in Russia from abroad, where they underwent initial training. The specific location of their training has not been disclosed.

The investigation claims that some of the accused also planned to blow up an entertainment complex in Kaspiysk, Dagestan, but the attack was prevented.

Additionally, some of the suspects transported weapons and ammunition to Kaspiysk in Dagestan, and from there they were moved to the capital.

A total of 19 individuals are accused in the case. The preliminary investigation continues regarding two organizers and four participants of the terrorist organization, the ICR stated.

The majority of the accused claimed to be innocent and requested their release.

It is worth noting 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 Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region. According to eyewitnesses, the shooters also threw Molotov cocktails, causing a fire in the establishment. According to media reports, about 149 people died, including children, more than 609 were injured, and one person went missing.

According to the ICR, the damage from the attack is estimated at over 6 billion rubles.

Shortly after the incident, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Immediately after the attack, 32-year-old Dalerjon Mirzoev, 30-year-old Saidakram Rachabalizoda, 25-year-old Fariduni Shamsiddin, and 19-year-old Muhammadsobir Faizov were detained.

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow reported that all four confessed to their guilt, and as a result, they were taken into custody for two months.

However, it is unclear under what circumstances they confessed, as videos posted on social media show that they were subjected to torture and severe 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 blinded eye.

The investigation has charged 27 individuals in connection with the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the Moscow region. The majority of them are citizens of Tajikistan.

After the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, Russian authorities began to impose a mass ban on Tajik citizens entering the country, while Tajik labor migrants in Moscow are being insulted and beaten by police and residents.

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