New suspects could be implicated in the case of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk. This was mentioned in the case materials reviewed by TASS.
In particular, the court’s decision to extend the detention of Muhammad Sharifzoda states that, if released, he could establish contact with “other unidentified accomplices of the crime.”
“The investigation has reason to believe that if Muhammad Sharifzoda remains free, he may evade the investigative authorities and the court, continue his criminal activities, contact other unidentified accomplices, and destroy evidence that has not yet been fully collected,” the document reads.
Muhammad Sharifzoda was arrested in April of this year, and his detention was recently extended until November.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the accused partially admitted guilt and is willing to cooperate with the investigation.
Additionally, the case materials reveal that another accused, Yoqubjon Yusufzoda, planned to flee abroad from Russia immediately after the attack.
"The investigator filed a petition for Yusufzoda's detention, stating that Yusufzoda supports radical Islamic movements advocating for armed struggle against those who do not share his religious views. He intended to leave Russia immediately after the terrorist act, following the organizers’ instructions to destroy the tools used in the crime and other evidence. Therefore, the investigator has grounds to believe that, if released, Yusufzoda could evade investigation and trial, including by fleeing the Russian Federation," reads the decision of the Moscow City Court on the appeal against Yusufzoda’s arrest.
According to investigators, Yusufzoda, a citizen of Tajikistan, helped the perpetrators of the attack by paying for the apartment they stayed in the night before the crime.
TASS reports that Russian investigators have sought assistance from the law enforcement agencies of three other countries in investigating the Crocus attack.
"Eight requests for legal assistance have been sent to the competent authorities of three foreign states, and other investigative and procedural actions have been carried out to establish all the circumstances of the crime," one of the documents in TASS's possession states.
It is also noted that over 1,700 people have been recognized and questioned as victims in the case, while more than 800 people have been questioned as witnesses. More than 20 searches have been conducted, over 65 crime scenes have been inspected, and more than 650 forensic examinations have been ordered.
Recall, the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall occurred on March 22, 2024 as a Russian band was preparing to take the stage at its concert venue. Four gunmen reportedly entered the hall. They opened fire and set the concert hall ablaze. 551 people were injured, and ultimately 144 people were killed.
Almost immediately, media reports identified the attackers as ethnic Tajiks. Two days after the attack, four suspects appeared in a Moscow court, each bearing visible signs of torture – bruised eyes, a severed ear. Their court appearance was prefaced by videos circulating on social media of their violent interrogations.
The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, claimed responsibility for that terrorist attack.
The United States and other Western countries are confident that it was this group who organized the terrorist attack.
However, the Russian side has claimed that Ukraine may be behind the terrorist attack, but Ukraine has categorically denied all accusations.
This terrorist attack was Russia’s worst terrorist attack in two decades.
The life of Tajik migrant workers in Russia has consistently deteriorated in recent years, especially after the launch by Russia of the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. However, after the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, the pressure on labor migrants from Tajikistan has increased even more.
