All four suspects involved in the tragic Crocus City concert hall attack have been remanded into pre-trial detention until May 22. They are facing charges of committing a terrorist act, which, under the Russian Criminal Code, carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
According to state media news agency TASS, three of the defendants have pleaded guilty to all charges. The suspects are all from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, and were in Russia on either temporary or expired visas.
Authorities have identified an additional three individuals believed to be involved in the attack, bringing the total number of formally charged individuals to seven. The attack, which occurred on Friday, claimed the lives of at least 137 people, making it the deadliest in Russia in two decades.
Latest Developments
- Day of Mourning: Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared Sunday a day of national mourning for the victims of the attack.
- Identification of Victims: Procedures to identify the deceased have commenced, with 62 bodies identified so far. Genetic examinations are being conducted to establish the identities of the remaining victims.
- Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism: Putin has pledged closer cooperation in combating terrorism with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following the attack.
- US Warnings: The Russian Embassy in Washington stated that they did not receive any warnings from the US regarding a potential attack in Moscow. Putin previously disregarded US embassy warnings of possible attacks on large groups.
- Link to Ukraine: Putin mentioned that the main suspects planned to escape into Ukraine, a claim denied by Ukrainian authorities. The UK cautioned that Russia was propagating a 'smokescreen of propaganda.'
- Terror Alert in France: France has raised its terror alert to the highest level in response to the Moscow attack, as announced by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
