As many as eight suspects have now been remanded by Russia in pre-trial detention since gunmen sprayed concertgoers in Moscow with bullets, what was believed to be the deadliest attack in the country in two decades.
A Kyrgyzstan-born man, who was suspected of involvement in Friday’s mass shooting at a Moscow concert hall, was remanded in custody on Tuesday. Russian authorities sent investigators to Tajikistan to question the families of four men charged with carrying out the attack.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility and released footage from the attack, which was confirmed by Western intelligence, who suggest the group was indeed behind the attack, in which 139 people were killed and 182 wounded. Russia has said the four suspected gunmen have confessed, but some showed signs of injuries when they appeared in court, raising concern they had been tortured.
Russia’s commissioner for human rights said that the detention of suspects should be carried out as per the law, TASS news agency reported. This came after videos of bruised suspects were published after the interrogation. “It is absolutely unacceptable to use torture on detainees and defendants,” the commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, was quoted as saying by TASS. Russian authorities have said they are investigating.
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin said the attack had been carried out by Islamic militants, but added that Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, may have played a role. Ukraine has denied any role. A day later, the director of Russia’s most powerful security agency reiterated the claims, saying he believes Ukraine, along with the United States and Britain, were involved in the attack on a concert hall just outside Moscow.
“We believe that the action was prepared by both the Islamist radicals themselves and was facilitated by Western special services,” Alexander Bortnikov, director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), was quoted as saying by Reuters, on Russian television. “The special services of Ukraine are directly related to this,” Bortnikov, 72, said, adding Kyiv had helped prepare Islamist radicals at an unidentified location in the Middle East.
When asked by reporters if Ukraine and its allies, the United States and Britain, were involved in the attack on the concert hall, Bortnikov said: “We think that’s the case. In any case, we are now talking about the texture that we have. This is general information.” Bortnikov, who has served as head of the FSB since 2008, said Russia had yet to identify those who specifically ordered the deadliest attack inside Russia for two decades.
(With agency inputs)
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