Muhammadsobir Faizov will remain in custody

The Moscow City Court on Tuesday, June 25, upheld the decision of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow to extend the detention of Mukhammasobir Faizov, one of the alleged perpetrators of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, and rejected the applicant’s appeal. Previously, the court had ordered his detention until August 22 of this year.

19-year-old Mukhammasobir Faizov was detained in Russia on March 23 of this year. He was brought to court from the hospital on a stretcher accompanied by doctors, and he had a catheter installed. It is claimed that he resisted arrest, resulting in serious eye injuries. He was interrogated in the intensive care unit before the court hearing.

Sairam Faizova, Mukhammasobir’s mother, said in a conversation with Radio Ozodi in March of this year that she cannot believe her son could be involved in the terrorist attack. According to her, Mukhammasobir was not a religious person and “did not even pray properly.”

In photographs and videos on Faizov’s account on the Russian social network VKontakte, he appears to be a positive young man and a good worker at a barbershop, with many photos of him working with clients, at his workplace, and some short videos with music. Some Russian media reported that Mukhammasobir was interested in sports and attended kickboxing training at the War Pro gym in Ivanovo.

The terrorist attack at the “Crocus” occurred on the evening of March 22, 2024. According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, 144 people were killed, and more than 500 were injured to varying degrees. Some people were shot by the attackers, while most died in the fire, including from smoke inhalation. The terrorist group “Islamic State” claimed responsibility for the attack.

Despite this, Russian authorities pointed to a supposed “Ukrainian trace” in the attack. In turn, Kyiv called these accusations unfounded.

FSB head Alexander Bortnikov reported in May of this year that more than 20 people had been detained in connection with the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall. Earlier, it was reported that 13 individuals had been detained, including 12 citizens of Tajikistan, four of whom are considered alleged perpetrators of the attack – Mukhammasobir Faizov, Dalerjon Mirzoev, Saidakram Rajabali-zoda, and Faridun Shamsiddin. After their detention, the security forces subjected them to torture: Rajabali-zoda had part of his ear cut off, Faridun Shamsiddin was tortured with electricity, Mirzoev had visible signs of severe beatings on his face, and Faizov was brought to court on a hospital stretcher, raising skepticism about the credibility of the Russian authorities’ statements.

Several detained citizens of Tajikistan have appealed the court’s ruling on their arrest and declared their innocence. After the terrorist attack at “Krokus City Hall,” Russian authorities intensified pressure on Tajik migrants. In the last three months, hundreds of labor migrants from Tajikistan have been deported from Russia, and thousands of others have been denied entry into Russia. Moscow claims that this is a temporary measure taken after the attack at “Krokus,” but the Tajik side believes that this approach is targeted against Tajik citizens and does not reflect the friendly relations between the two countries.