Russia jails for life ISIS-linked Tajiks over concert hall attack that killed 149

MOSCOW – A Russian military court handed down life sentences on March 12 to four Tajik men and 11 accomplices over their involvement in a mass shooting that killed 149 people at a concert hall near Moscow two years ago, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Prosecutors charged 19 people in connection with the shooting spree at the Crocus City Hall on March 22, 2024 – the deadliest such attack in Russia in two decades. The ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, claimed responsibility.

The four other defendants were given sentences ranging from 19 to 22 years in prison, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported.

It was not immediately clear how the defendants pleaded or whether they would appeal. Their trial was held behind closed doors, as is customary with such cases in Russia.

ISIS-K is the Afghan offshoot of the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria. It has been linked to several other plotted attacks in southern Russia and Azerbaijan in recent years, a trend that has alarmed intelligence services. REUTERS