On March 22, 2024, 149 people were killed and at least 600 injured in a horrific terror attack on the Crocus City Hall entertainment center outside of Moscow. Shortly afterward, the Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, claimed responsibility; both U.S. and French intelligence agreed that ISIS-K was solely responsible for the attack.

The following day, four Tajik nationals were arrested and accused of having committed the atrocity. The four — Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Shamsidin Fariduni, Muhammadsobir Faizov, and Saidakram Rachabalizoda — are shown below as they appeared in court following their arrest, obviously having been badly beaten while in custody. One appeared, in a video posted on Telegram, to have had an ear cut off.

Yesterday — more than 16 months after the attack — the four suspects were at last brought to trial, along with 15 other individuals arrested in the meantime on various charges of involvement. Not surprisingly, three of the four principal defendants pleaded guilty before a three-judge panel at the Second Western District Military Court; the fourth, Saidakram Rachabalizoda, pleaded “partly guilty.” [RFE/RL, August 4, 2025.]

From the start, human rights groups have expressed concerns that their trial would not be a fair one. One — activist Karimjon Yorov — said:

“In normal democratic countries, this would never happen — confessions were beaten out of people accused of a terrorist attack and they [the authorities] don’t even hide it.” [Id.]

And some have questioned the arrests of the other 15 charged with ancillary offenses, such as renting apartments to those actually involved in the attack . . . whether or not there was proof they had knowledge of the circumstances.

Gennady Gudkov — himself a former FSB officer and deputy in the State Duma — has said:

“In my opinion, they simply recruited scapegoats. It is difficult to understand the degree of their guilt. I have the impression that this trial is an excuse for not conducting a real investigation.” [Id.]

At Trial, in the Defendants’ Box – August 4, 2025

This has all taken place in the shadow of Moscow’s tightening of its immigration policies, the increase of ethnic profiling and arbitrary arrests of Central Asians, and the numerous instances of racist attacks by far-right nationalist groups. New legislation was enacted a year ago giving police greater powers to expel migrants without court orders.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a March 2025 report: “While failing to condemn these xenophobic actions, Russian authorities have also intensified their targeting of Central Asian migrants.” [Id.]

And Russian officials say that a new system will be activated in September combining biometric registration, location tracking, and intensified police oversight to monitor migrant workers — all in the name of of national security and social order. [Id.]

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But apparently, one set of suspects was not enough for the Kremlin. Taking advantage of an opportunity to manufacture justification for its “special military operation” against Ukraine, Russia’s Investigative Committee has promoted the theory — and claimed to have evidence — that Ukraine was behind the terror attack.

John Kirby, then White House National Security Council spokesman, said at the time that Russia’s attempt to place blame on Ukraine was “nonsense and propaganda.” Adding that Washington had sent a message to Russia’s security services two weeks before the attack occurred, and that there had been multiple such advance warnings about potential extremist attacks on concerts and other large gatherings in Moscow, he said:

“It is abundantly clear that [Islamic State] was solely responsible for the horrific attack in Moscow last week. In fact, the United States tried to help prevent this terrorist attack and the Kremlin knows this.” [RFE/RL, March 28, 2024.]

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Are these four men from Tajikistan actually guilty of the heinous attack on March 22, 2024? We’ll never know for sure, as we have only the Russian authorities’ word as to the thoroughness of their investigation, and the methods used to elicit the guilty pleas.

What we do know is that, once charged, their fates were sealed. Now, as with every trial in Russia, the verdicts are a foregone conclusion; we only have to await news of their sentences.

As to the other 15 defendants . . . at this point, it’s anyone’s guess.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/5/25