Russian court charges four men over Moscow concert...

Russian court charges four men over Moscow concert mass shooting

**Russian Shooting suspect being escorted to the headquarters of the Investigative Committee of Russia**

ITV News - Four men have appeared in a Russian court on terrorism charges following an attack on a concert hall in Moscow that killed more than 130 people.

The men, who appeared before a Moscow court on Sunday, showed signs of severe beatings as they faced the formal charges, with one appearing to be barely conscious during the hearing.

A court statement said two of the suspects accepted their guilt in the assault after being charged in the preliminary hearing, though the men’s condition raised questions about whether they were speaking freely.

There had been conflicting reports earlier in Russian media outlets that said three or all four men admitted culpability.

The hearing came as Russia observed a national day of mourning for the Friday attack on the suburban Crocus City Hall concert venue that killed at least 137 people.

Moscow’s Basmanny District Court formally charged Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30, Shamsidin Fariduni, 25, and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19, with committing a group terrorist attack resulting in the death of others.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The court ordered that the men, all of whom are citizens of Tajikistan, be held in pre-trial custody until May 22.

Russian media had reported that the men were tortured during interrogation by the security services, and Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda and Fariduni showed signs of heavy bruising, including swollen faces.

Rachabalizoda also had a heavily bandaged ear.

Russian media said on Saturday that one of the suspects had his ear cut off during interrogation. ITV News couldn’t verify the report or the videos purporting to show this.

Friday’s attack, claimed by an affiliate of the so-called Islamic State group, is the deadliest on Russian soil in years.

Russian authorities arrested the four suspected attackers on Saturday, with seven more people detained on suspicion of involvement in the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the nation on Saturday night.

He claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine, something that Kyiv has firmly denied.

Events at cultural institutions were cancelled on Sunday, flags were lowered to half-mast and television entertainment and advertising were suspended, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.

A steady stream of people added to a makeshift memorial near the burned-out concert hall, creating a huge mound of flowers.

Three children were among the dead.