By Russian President Vladimir Putin says for the first time that “radical Islamists” were behind last week’s attack on a concert hall outside Moscow but suggests Ukraine was also somehow involved.
The White House dismissed Russia’s claims that the attack is linked to Ukraine, calling the assertion “Kremlin propaganda”. On Monday, White House spokesperson John Kirby addressed the accusation, saying: “There was no linkage to Ukraine … This is just more Kremlin propaganda.”
The gunmen accused of carrying out the Moscow concert hall attack were briefly in Turkey to renew their Russian residence permits, Reuters reported, citing a Turkish security official.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said that two of the accused attackers had traveled to Turkey briefly, but had been living in Moscow for a long period of time.
Photos and videos released by the court showed the four men being led into the courtroom with various levels of injuries. Three of the men had visible bruises and swelling on their faces, including one with heavy bandaging around his right ear. The fourth seemed barely conscious as he sat inside the prisoner’s box dressed in a hospital gown and on a stretcher, with his eyes closed for most of the hearing.
It came after images showing the suspects’ violent treatment in custody were shared widely across Russian social media, and as President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge but made no mention of the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
The Basmanny District Court of Moscow named the suspects as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Mukhammadsobir Faizov. Two of the four had admitted their guilt, the court said, although their condition raised questions about whether they were able to speak freely.
French Olympics
The attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 130 people has raised fresh security fears for the Paris Olympics, which begin on 26 July.
The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said that the Paris Olympics were an obvious future target.
“France, because we defend universal values, and are for secularism … is particularly threatened, notably during extraordinary events such as the Olympics,” he told reporters.
