Four men face terrorism charges following the latest tragic incident at a concert hall near Moscow, where more than 130 people were left dead.
Two individuals suspected of carrying out the attack traveled to Türkiye in February to extend their visa-free stay in Russia, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to Turkish authorities, these two individuals, identified as Rachabalizoda Saidakrami and Shamsidin Fariduni, both Tajik nationals, had been able to move between Russia and Türkiye without obstacle as there were no warrants for their arrest. Before the attack, they had spent time in Turkey and entered Russia together on a flight from Istanbul.
Thus, the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, with affiliated media outlets circulating disturbing videos of the attackers inside the scene. As Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya pointed out, Turkish authorities have determined that one of the suspects, Faridun, entered Turkey on February 20 and returned to Russia through Istanbul Airport on March 2.
After arriving in Turkey, the suspect stayed in a hotel in the conservative Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul from February 21 to February 27. During the interrogation, Faridun confessed that he had traveled to Turkey because his visa in Russia had expired.
Putin Links Concert Hall Attack to ‘Radical Islamists’ as Turkey Conducts Nationwide IS Raids
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged the involvement of “radical Islamists” in the concert hall attack, although he suggested a link to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have carried out wide-ranging raids across the country, arresting 147 suspects with alleged links to IS extremists in simultaneous operations spanning 30 cities.
At the same time, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s security council and a close associate of President Putin emphasized the severity of the terrorism threat to Russia in light of the Moscow attack. He stated that those responsible for the attack would face consequences and be brought to justice.
Tajikistan’s Struggle with Islam: From Civil War to IS Recruitment
Tajikistan, home to nearly ten million people, is predominantly Muslim, but tensions related to Islam are every day in the impoverished Central Asian nation.
During a civil war from 1992 to 1997, Islamists played an essential role as opponents, resulting in the deaths of approximately 150,000 people and severe damage to the economy. In 2017, around 13,000 men were forcibly shaved, and some were subsequently arrested.
More than 1,000 Tajiks are said to have joined the Islamic State as foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. In 2015, a high-ranking Tajik police commander defected to IS, appearing in a video dressed in black, carrying a sniper rifle, and pledging to bring jihad to Russia and the United States.