All four suspects involved in the Crocus City concert hall attack case have been remanded into pre-trial detention until May 22. They are facing charges of committing a terrorist act, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the Russian Criminal Code.
According to state media news agency TASS, three of the defendants have pleaded guilty to all charges. The suspects, all hailing from Tajikistan, were found to be in Russia on either temporary or expired visas.
The attack that occurred on Friday resulted in the tragic loss of at least 137 lives, marking it as the deadliest attack in Russia in the past two decades.
Latest Developments
- Day of Mourning: Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared Sunday as a day of national mourning for the victims of the attack.
- Identification of Victims: The city's Department of Health has initiated procedures to identify the deceased. So far, 62 bodies have been identified, with genetic examinations being conducted for the remaining victims.
- Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism: Putin has engaged in discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to enhance cooperation in combating terrorism post 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 had previously disregarded alerts from the US embassy about possible large-scale attacks.
- Link to Ukraine: Putin mentioned that the main suspects had plans to escape into Ukraine. However, Ukraine has denied any involvement. The UK has cautioned that Russia is propagating a 'smokescreen of propaganda.'
- Terror Alert in France: Following the tragic incident in Moscow, France has raised its terror alert to the highest level, as announced by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
