The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has demanded prison sentences ranging from 7.5 to 15 years for five Central Asians accused of involvement in last spring’s terrorist attack on the Crocus City concert hall in Moscow. This information was reported by the Anadolu news agency.
The detainees – identified as Hafizjon Usmanov, Muteullo Asoyev, Rahmatullo Solikov, Muhammadrahim Faizov, and Hamza Muhammed – are accused of providing instructions and logistical support to the perpetrators of the attack. They allegedly promised 800,000 rubles (approximately $7,240) and new identity documents in exchange for carrying out the attack.
According to Anadolu, the suspects were in contact with Shamsiddin Fariduni and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, who are believed to have been directly involved in the attack. One of the detainees reportedly shared an apartment in Istanbul’s Avcılar district with Fariduni.
Evidence presented by prosecutors includes correspondence between one of the suspects and a perpetrator. In the messages, the suspect proposed planting a bomb at the Vegas shopping center, promising an advance payment of 100,000 rubles and an additional 700,000 rubles upon completion of the act.
The terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in March last year claimed the lives of 144 people and injured 551 others. The main suspects in the case are citizens of Tajikistan, with reports indicating that 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the attack.
The Istanbul investigation sheds further light on the broader network behind the attack, pointing to an international web of operatives and support personnel.
