Crocus City Hall attack
On 22 March 2024, a coordinated attack against civilians occurred at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia. The attack began at around 20:00 MSK (UTC+3), shortly before the Russian band Picnic was scheduled to play a sold-out show at the venue. Four attackers associated with Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS–KP or ISIS-K) carried out a mass shooting, as well as slashing attacks[3] on the people gathered at the venue, and used incendiary devices to set the venue on fire.[16][17][18] Investigators said 145 people had been killed (including those who died later in hospital), and more than 551 concertgoers injured by gunfire or suffering from burns.[19][20][18] On 28 March, Russian authorities also claimed that a further 95 people were missing.[21]
Crocus City Hall attack
Crocus City Hall, Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
- AK–style assault rifles
- pistols
- knives
- petrol bombs[2][3]
IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement through the IS-affiliated Amaq News Agency shortly after the attack, with its regional branch in the Afghanistan–Pakistan border region, Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS–KP or ISIS-K), most likely being responsible.[22][23][17] Amaq also published a video filmed by one of the attackers. It showed the attackers shooting victims and slitting the throat of a victim, while the filming attacker was reciting the takbir, praising God and speaking against infidels.[3][18]
Russia's Foreign Ministry called the incident a terrorist attack.[24] Russian president Vladimir Putin called the attack a "barbaric terrorist act" and said that the gunmen had been arrested.[25] He also declared 24 March 2024 to be a national day of mourning,[16] and sought to link assailants to Ukraine.[16][26] It was the deadliest attack on Russian soil since the Beslan school siege in 2004.[27][28] Investigators detained 12 people in relation to the attack,[29] including four suspects, who were charged with terrorism later on 24 March.[30][14][15]
Investigation[edit]
As of 27 April, 12 people have been detained, including the four suspected assailants in a white car, who were captured[100] on the 376-kilometre (234 mi) mark of the M3 highway leading to the Ukrainian border (140 kilometres [87 mi] away), near the village of Khatsun in Bryansk Oblast,[101] and about 340 kilometres (211 mi) southwest of Moscow, on the evening of 22 March.[102][103][35] Russia coordinated with Belarusian security forces to prevent the suspects from crossing the Belarus–Russia border.[104][105] The Investigative Committee of Russia launched a criminal terrorist probe into the attack.[106] Officials later said that the attackers were not Russian citizens.[107]
State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein said that Tajik passports were discovered in the vehicle of the individuals in custody,[35] and the Russian Telegram channel Baza identified the four attackers as citizens of Tajikistan.[108][109] The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan denied the involvement of three of its citizens, stating that the individuals named in the discovered passports had returned to Tajikistan months earlier and were working there.[110][111] In a phone call with Putin, Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon said that "terrorists have no nationality, no homeland and no religion".[112] On 12 April however, Tajikistani foreign minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin issued a statement condemning the alleged torture of the suspected attackers in Russian custody, calling it "unacceptable".[113] As Tajikistan signed a dual citizenship agreement with Russia in the 1990s, it is possible that the perpetrators held dual Tajik and Russian citizenships.[114]
On 24 March, four suspects, Dalerjon Mirzoyev, 32; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30; Shamsidin Fariduni, 25; and Muhammadsobir Faizov, 19, appeared at Basmanny District Court in Moscow and were charged with terrorism.[115][63][116][117] Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda, and Fariduni pled guilty during the hearing.[118] All showed signs of having been tortured.[119] They had facial injuries and bruises and Rachabalizoda appeared with a bandage covering his missing right ear.[120] Faizov was brought into court in a wheelchair wearing a hospital gown, and appeared to have an eye missing.[121][122] They were ordered to remain in pre-trial detention until at least 22 May.[123]
A short video on Telegram allegedly showed Rachabalizoda being tortured by FSB agents, who cut off his ear and forced him to eat it.[124][65] In another interrogation video released by Russian state media, Fariduni said that he participated in the attack in exchange for 1 million rubles ($11,005), half of which he claimed to have already received by card transfer from individuals who contacted him on Telegram and whose identities he did not know.[125] He also said he was contacted about a month ago by a cleric's assistant. He then traveled to Turkey for a few days, returning to Russia with Rachabalizoda.[126][127] A leaked photograph showed Fariduni apparently being tortured by having his genitals shocked with a TA-57 field telephone.[128][129]
The suspects were officially identified as citizens of Tajikistan.[130] Mirzoyev, who was presented as the ringleader of the attacks, had an expired residency permit in Novosibirsk.[131] According to Agentstvo, three out of the four men had spent several months in Russia, but did not come to the attention of Russian authorities;[132] Meduza said that, according to one source, the alleged perpetrators met 3–4 weeks before the attack.[133] Izvestia alleged that two of the gunmen received instructions when travelling to Turkey.[134] According to Turkish media, the mentioned terrorist organization was based in an illegal mosque or madrasa called Darul Vefa İlim ve Amel Merkezi (Muvahhid Derneği) in Başakşehir, Istanbul.[135][136] An analysis by The New York Times matched the clothes of the four suspects with the gunmen in the attack.[65] If convicted, the four could receive a sentence of life imprisonment.[137]
On 25 March, three more suspects appeared in court and were placed in pre-trial detention until 22 May. They were identified as a father, Isroil Islomov, and his two sons, Aminchon Islomov and Dilovar Islomov, and were accused of aiding and abetting terrorism. Dilovar Islomov was the previous owner of the car in which the four suspected attackers fled the crime scene.[138]
On 26 March, another suspect, identified as Alisher Kasimov, appeared in court. He rented out his apartment to the four suspected attackers and was also placed in pre-trial detention until 22 May.[139]
On 28 March, another suspect was detained,[140] with the Investigative Committee of Russia saying that he was involved in the "financing" of the attack.[141] He was later identified as Nazrimad Lutfulloi, although he was said to have been detained on 23 March, the day after the attack. He appeared in court on 29 March, was charged with conspiracy to conduct acts of terrorism and pleaded guilty to some of the charges. He was also placed in pre-trial detention until 22 May.[142][143][144]
On 31 March, the FSB announced the arrest of four people in Makhachkala and Kaspiysk in Dagestan on suspicion of providing funds and weapons to the attackers at Crocus City Hall.[145] They also allegedly planned to carry out another attack in Kaspiysk.[146]
In Tajikistan, authorities arrested nine people from Vahdat District on suspicion of involvement with the attackers on 25 March.[147]
On 4 April, the FSB announced the arrest of three people in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Omsk, two for allegedly transferring money for firearms and vehicles used in the attack, and the third for allegedly recruiting and financing the gunmen.[148][149]
On 7 April, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced that Crocus fire safety officials and the head of the Crocus fire brigade were being investigated for fire code violations, which carry a criminal charge of negligence, and placed under house arrest. Neither of them was named at the time.[150]
On 27 April, Russian authorities announced that charges were filed against a twelfth suspect for allegedly providing communications logistics and financing to the attackers.[29]