A Moscow court has detained another suspect as an accomplice in the attack by gunmen on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people in March, the Moscow City Courts Telegram channel said Saturday.
Dzhumokhon Kurbonov, a citizen of Tajikistan, is accused of providing the attackers with means of communication and financing. The judge at Moscow's Basmanny District Court ruled that Kurbonov would be kept in custody until May 22, pending investigation and trial.
Four gunmen allegedly carried out the attack
"The sound of gunfire echoed through the air," recounted eyewitness Dave Primov to CBS News. "Panic ensued as people scrambled to escape. Some were knocked to the ground and trampled on."
A total of twelve suspects have been apprehended in connection with the incident, with four of them believed to be the perpetrators behind the attack. These four individuals made a court appearance in Moscow at the end of March to face terrorism charges and exhibited visible signs of physical abuse. One of them seemed barely conscious during the proceedings. The court ruled that the suspects, all reportedly from Tajikistan, should remain in custody until May 22.
A faction linked to the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the tragic event. However, Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, have consistently alleged, without concrete proof, that Ukraine and Western nations played a role in the attack.
Ukraine has refuted these accusations and asserts that Moscow is using them as a pretext to escalate hostilities in Ukraine.
