Russia has taken decisive action by ordering the custody of four individuals accused of perpetrating a massacre at a Moscow concert hall, claiming the lives of at least 137 people, as authorities brace for a possible increase in fatalities with over 100 victims receiving treatment already.
While the men are potentially looking at a lifetime behind bars, Russian officials have been vocal in their calls to lift the moratorium on capital punishment to enforce even stricter penalties.
Throughout a series of late-night court sessions in Moscow that spilled into the early hours of Monday, the four individuals, sporting bruises and cuts on their faces, were ushered into the courtroom in front of a crowd of reporters who had congregated at the Basmanny district court in the capital.
FSB security service officers transported one of the men to the hearing on a medical gurney, responding to reports and videos circulating on Russian social media detailing bloody interrogations following the arrests made on Saturday.
The Islamic State has taken credit for the Friday evening assault, but Russian officials have not made any comments regarding the potential connection to the group.
President Vladimir Putin, in his sole public address since the incident, alluded to a potential Ukrainian link, citing that the quartet of apprehended assailants was intercepted in an attempt to escape across the border.
According to Russian investigators, individuals clad in camouflage attire raided the Crocus City Hall concert venue on Friday evening, opening fire on attendees before igniting the structure and making a swift escape.
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As reported by Russian state media, a representative from the venue owner disclosed on Monday that more than 5,000 individuals were inside the building. This attack stands as the most devastating in Russia in the last two decades and the deadliest in Europe claimed by IS.
A Moscow court has decreed that the men will be detained until May 22, with the possibility of an extension until a thorough trial is conducted. Russia announced on Saturday the apprehension of 11 individuals involved in the attack, while details regarding the remaining seven are yet to surface.
The four suspected shooters were all citizens of Tajikistan, Russian state media reported.
The president of Tajikistan — a Central Asian nation that borders Afghanistan and where IS is known to be active — told Putin in a phone call on Sunday: “Terrorists have no nationality.”
The Kremlin announced that Moscow and Dushanbe have committed to “strengthening” their cooperation in countering terrorism.
Putin has vowed to mete out punishment to those responsible for the “brutal terrorist attack” and stated on Saturday that the four gunmen were captured while attempting to flee to Ukraine.
Kyiv has adamantly rejected any link to the attack, with the United States placing the onus entirely on IS.
Russian investigators have reported that the death toll from the tragic incident has reached at least 137 individuals, which includes three children, according to the latest uupdate.
As of Sunday evening, health officials reported that the count of those injured had reached 182, with 101 individuals still hospitalized, including 40 in conditions deemed “critical” or “extremely critical.”