Russia appears to have tortured terror suspects

The Russian government has detained four key suspects in the terror attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Moscow that claimed at least 137 lives on Friday and charged them with terrorism. However, video footage released on Sunday has sparked controversy as it shows the men appearing to be tortured.

According to Reuters, the four suspects named by Russian authorities are all Tajikistan nationals. They were identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Mukhammadsobir Faizov and charged with terrorism. They appeared in court in Moscow on Sunday.

The state news agency TASS reported that Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda admitted guilt for the attack during the court proceedings. The court ordered that the men be held in pre-trial custody until May 22. Additionally, seven more people detained on suspicion of involvement in the attack will undergo interrogation.

Images from the courtroom showed the suspects with bruised faces, including Rachabalizoda, who was wearing a bandage on the right side of his head. On Russia’s pro-government social media, footage of them being tortured has been uploaded. In the footage, Rachabalizoda is shown having his ear cut off, which he then spits out as he is forced to eat it. Fariduni appeared to have received electric shocks, lying on the ground with foam coming out of his mouth.

While the suspects of the severe felony await trial, the Russian government's decision to torture them before they've even been tried has drawn criticism against President Vladimir Putin. “It is clear that this torture was ordered from the highest levels,” said Russian human rights organization Gulagu.net. “If there is evidence, and they have it, why should the authorities torture them?”


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