Russian investigators in Tajikistan for family of attack suspects

Russian investigators are in Tajikistan to question relatives of four suspects in last week’s attack in Moscow. This is what security sources in Tajikistan told the Reuters news agency. According to Russia, at least four suspects in the attack are from the Central Asian country.

According to Reuters, the family members come from western Tajikistan and have been brought to the capital Dushanbe to be heard. It is not clear what the Russians want to know.

According to the sources, President Rachmon of Tajikistan is personally overseeing the investigation. He called the attack yesterday “disgraceful and terrible”. Rachmon has called on its residents to protect their children against “harmful influences”.

Severely damaged in court

At least 139 people were killed and 182 injured in Friday’s attack in a concert hall in Moscow. The attack was claimed by an Afghan branch of the Islamic State terror group and President Putin said last night that radical Muslims were behind the attack.

Four suspects appeared in court on Sunday badly damaged. They will remain in custody until at least May 22 and have been charged with terrorism. There are reports and videos in Russian media about torture during their interrogation.

One of the suspects was brought in in a wheelchair and appeared barely conscious:

Two of the suspects have confessed, according to the court, but under what circumstances the confession would have been made is unknown.

Three others, also of Tajik descent, have been arrested on suspicion of complicity. They appeared in court yesterday. A man born in Kyrgyzstan has also been detained. He is suspected of providing shelter to the four terror suspects, the Russians said.