Russian Court Sentences 15 Men to Life for Moscow Concert Hall Attack

A Russian military court on Thursday sentenced 15 men to life in prison for the attack on Crocus City Concert Hall near Moscow that killed 150 people and wounded more than 600. Four additional defendants received prison terms between 19 and 22 years. The attack on March 22, 2024, stands as Russia's deadliest terror attack in more than two decades.

The four gunmen who carried out the assault were all citizens of Tajikistan, aged between 20 and 31 at the time of the attack. They worked in various professions, including as a taxi driver, factory employee, and construction worker. The 11 others sentenced to life were found guilty of helping the gunmen with money and weapons or of having links to terrorist groups.

Four additional men were jailed for selling a car to the attackers and helping them rent an apartment. Prosecutors also sought to strip relatives of one of the gunmen of their Russian citizenship.

Some 6,000 people had gathered at the auditorium in Krasnogorsk for a rock concert by the Soviet-era band Picnic when gunmen burst into the complex and opened fire on the crowd. The attackers then set fires that engulfed the venue and caused the roof to collapse. Many victims died from bullet wounds while others succumbed to smoke inhalation. Six of those killed were children.

An Islamic State affiliate, IS-K, admitted responsibility for the attack and posted video evidence. The BBC verified graphic footage released by IS showing attackers firing on concertgoers inside the concert hall.

Russian officials have repeatedly claimed Ukraine was linked to the attack without providing evidence. President Vladimir Putin and other state officials have made the allegations despite Kyiv's fierce denials of any involvement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said it was "absolutely predictable" that Putin would blame the country for the assault.

The trial was conducted behind closed doors, and there are likely to have been confessions made under duress. When the men first appeared in court two years ago, they showed visible signs of having been beaten. One defendant was brought into court in a wheelchair and appeared barely conscious. Videos circulating on social media and linked to security services appeared to show bloody interrogations.

Two of the men sentenced to life have asked the court to send them to fight in Ukraine instead of serving their sentences, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. One said he hoped to "redeem his guilt with blood," according to a lawyer quoted by the agency. Russia has recruited prisoners for the war since invading Ukraine, offering them freedom if they survive combat.

Russia has tightened anti-migrant laws and rhetoric since the attack, already undergoing a conservative social shift during the war. The measures have strained relations with some of Moscow's allies in Central Asia, whose governments have urged Russia to respect the rights of their citizens. For years, Russia's economy has depended on millions of migrant workers from Central Asia, but their numbers fell after the invasion of Ukraine, and the post-Crocus crackdown has discouraged some from coming.