Four men accused of orchestrating the deadly attack on a Russian concert hall in Moscow that killed more than 130 people, appeared before a Moscow court facing terrorism charges, Associated Press reports.
The suspects, citizens of Tajikistan, exhibited signs of severe beatings and two of them reportedly admitted their involvement, but questions arose about their confession’s authenticity due to their condition. Russian media reported torture during interrogation by the security services, with one of the suspects having his ear cut off.
The attack, claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, was the deadliest on Russian soil in years. Russian authorities arrested the suspects, alleging they were attempting to flee to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin linked the attack to Ukraine, but Kyiv denied any involvement.
