The four men arrested for staging the terrorist attack at a concert hall near Moscow displayed tell-tale signs of torture when they appeared in court to face terrorism charges, CBS News reported.
One of the four men, all from Tajikistan, was so severely beaten that he appeared at the March 24 hearing in a wheelchair.
According to the court, two of the suspects admitted their guilt after they were charged in the hearing. However, the condition of the suspects raised the question of whether those admissions were freely given.
Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19, Shamsidin Fariduni, 25, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32, and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30, were all charged with committing a terrorist attack that resulted in death, a charge that carries a life sentence.
The men were accused in connection to the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue on March 22 that left 137 people dead and 182 people injured.
The Islamic terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack which was the deadliest in Russia since Chechen rebels killed more than 330 people during a siege at a school in Beslan in 2004.
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court ordered that the four men remain in pre-trial custody until May 22.
Russian state-controlled media reported that the suspects had been tortured when they were interrogated by Russian security services. Saidakrami Rachabalizoda appeared in court with his ear bandaged. He, Mirzoyev, and Fariduni were all heavily bruised. Mukhammadsobir Faizov had to be brought into the court in a wheelchair and his eyes remained closed throughout the hearing.
According to the court, it was Rachabalizoda and Mirzoyev who admitted their guilt.
The four men were arrested the day after the terrorist attack and seven others were detained on suspicion.
When announcing the arrests to the nation on March 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to accuse Ukraine of having a role in the terrorist attack. He noted that the four men were captured while trying to cross the border into Ukraine through a “window” that was prepared on the Ukrainian side.
