Russia’s 2nd Western District Military Court will begin the trial of 19 individuals accused of involvement in the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk on August 4 at 11:00 a.m. Moscow time. The court proceeding will take place at one of the Moscow City Court buildings, TASS reports, citing the court’s press service.
The trial will be presided over by a panel of three judges. A preliminary closed-door hearing was held on July 21.
According to TASS, which reviewed case materials, four defendants have requested that the court terminate their prosecution, while another has petitioned for a jury trial.
“The defendants and their attorneys filed the following motions: Umedjon Soliyev requested a trial by a panel of three judges; Zubaidullo Ismoilov, Jabrail Aushev, Jumakhon Qurbonov, and Isroil Islomov requested the termination of their prosecution; and Lutfullo Nazrimad, Husein Medov, and Dilovar and Aminjon Islomov requested a jury trial,” the case summary states.
Lyudmila Aivar, an attorney whose law firm represents 95 victims in the case, told TASS that the military court denied the motions to terminate prosecution for the four defendants and also refused the request for a jury trial.
“In addition, the court rejected petitions from several defendants to return the case materials for further investigation,” Aivar emphasized.
Out of the 2,300 individuals officially recognized as victims in the case, no more than 150 are expected to take part directly in the court proceedings.
The investigation has produced an extensive dossier of more than 470 volumes, including physical evidence and the results of over 200 forensic examinations conducted on the accused.
The attack, which occurred on March 22, 2024, was one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in recent Russian history. According to investigators, 149 people were killed, one person remains missing, and over 600 others were injured after a group of armed men stormed the concert venue and set it ablaze.
Authorities allege the attack was meticulously planned and claim it was carried out “in the interests of the Ukrainian leadership” to destabilize the situation in Russia—a claim Ukraine has strongly denied.
Investigators also revealed that the group had planned a second attack, targeting an entertainment complex in Kaspiysk, Dagestan, which was ultimately thwarted. Weapons used in the Crocus attack were reportedly transported through Kaspiysk.
The suspects are believed to have prepared for the assault over several months, with some allegedly receiving specialized training abroad. However, the countries where this training took place have not been disclosed.
