By Trend News Line 2024-03-26 09:00:00.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the gunmen responsible for the concert hall attack that killed over 130 people in a Moscow suburb last week were “radical Islamists.” During a meeting with government officials, Putin stated that the killings were carried out by extremists “whose ideology the Islamic world has been fighting for centuries.”
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Putin also mentioned that the four attackers were arrested while attempting to escape to Ukraine, but he did not specifically name the affiliate of the Islamic State group that claimed responsibility for the attack. He refrained from mentioning ISIS in his remarks on Monday, focusing instead on the need to investigate why the terrorists tried to flee to Ukraine and who was waiting for them there.
Following the ISIS affiliate’s claim of responsibility, U.S. intelligence supported their claims. French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that France has intelligence pointing to “an ISIS entity” as responsible for the Moscow attack. Despite mounting pressure to assign blame, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged reporters to wait for the results of the investigation in Russia. He also declined to comment on reports that the U.S. had warned authorities in Moscow about a possible terrorist attack on March 7, citing the confidentiality of such intelligence.
Calls for harsh punishment for those behind the attack have been growing in Russia. Four men were charged by a Moscow court on Sunday with carrying out a terrorist attack. During their court appearance, they displayed signs of severe beatings, raising concerns about Russia’s human rights record under Putin. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin assured that the investigation is ongoing and vowed that “the perpetrators will be punished, they do not deserve mercy.”
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, went even further by urging authorities to “kill them all.” The attack at Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow last Friday resulted in the death of 137 people and left over 180 injured, making it the deadliest attack in Russia in years. A total of 97 individuals remain hospitalized, with search and rescue operations expected to continue until at least Tuesday afternoon.
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The suspects, identified as Tajik nationals, have faced allegations of torture during interrogation. Three of the suspects appeared in court on Monday, showing no signs of injuries, and were placed in pre-trial detention on terrorism charges. Russia’s Federal Security Service confirmed that seven other suspects have been detained, with their fate still uncertain.
Russian human rights advocates have condemned the violence against the suspects, with concerns raised about the use of torture in obtaining testimony. Margarita Simonyan, head of the state-funded television channel RT, shared images of the suspects’ injuries on social media, advocating for harsh punishment. However, other groups have warned against the use of savagery in response to terrorism, stressing the importance of upholding human rights principles.
As the investigation into the Moscow concert hall attack continues, the Russian government faces scrutiny over its handling of the suspects and the broader implications for human rights and security in the country. With tensions running high and calls for justice growing louder, the aftermath of the attack is likely to have far-reaching consequences for Russia and its approach to combating terrorism..
– Putin blames Islamic extremists concert massacre
– Putin blames Islamic extremists concert massacre last week.
