March
25, 2024
The
Kremlin is not involved in any talks on lifting Russia’s moratorium on the
death penalty in the wake of last week’s terrorist attack, presidential
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
At
least 137 people were killed in Friday’s massacre at the Crocus City concert
hall on the outskirts of Moscow, and more than 180 were injured, according to
officials. The atrocity has reignited a debate among lawmakers on reinstating
capital punishment, which has effectively been banned in Russia since 1996.
“We
are not taking part in this discussion,” Peskov said in response to a question
from TASS news agency.
Supporters
of the move, including the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR),
Leonid Slutsky, have argued that an exception to the moratorium should be made
for the four gunmen that carried out Friday’s attack.
The
head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, Vladimir Vasiliev, also
stated after the tragedy that the idea of reintroducing the death penalty for
acts of terrorism would be “deeply and professionally worked through” and that
a decision will be made that will “meet the mood and expectations of our
society.”
While
the Russian criminal code technically has a provision for issuing the death
penalty, courts are de facto banned from handing down such a sentence.
As
explained by the head of the Federal Council Committee on Constitutional
Legislation, Andrey Klishas, the reintroduction of capital punishment is
legally impossible as neither chamber of Russia’s parliament “can overcome the
decisions of the Constitutional Court of Russia on the issue of the death
penalty.”
The
head of Russia’s Constitutional Court, Valery Zorkin, previously pointed out
that under the Constitution, everyone has the right to life, and therefore is
guaranteed “the right not to be sentenced to death.” He suggested that the
reintroduction of the death penalty would require the adoption of a new
Constitution.
Meanwhile,
the head of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation,
Pavel Krasheninnikov, has argued that while the discussions on punishment for
the terrorists are important, they should not be the main focus.
“Discussions
about the death penalty, it seems to me, may lead us in the wrong direction,”
the lawmaker said, insisting that “it is more important for us that such acts
are not repeated.”
A
group of gunmen stormed Crocus City Hall on the evening of March 22, just
before a concert by the rock band Picnic. The venue, which has an estimated
capacity of 7,500, was almost full. The terrorists killed the guards, opened
fire on visitors, and then started a blaze, which quickly spread through the
building.
Four
men suspected of carrying out the attack have since been captured. Two of them
have confessed in court, and are set to remain in custody until late May. They
all face life in prison.
Deadly Moscow
terrorist attack: What’s known so far
March 23, 2024
A large concert venue near Moscow
became the scene of a mass shooting late Friday. The massacre has left over 100
people dead, including children, and is one of the worst terrorist attacks in
Russia’s modern history.
According to the latest estimates,
at least 133 people were killed and scores injured in the deadly shooting and
subsequent fire sparked by a group of gunmen who stormed the Crocus City Hall,
a large music venue just outside of the Russian capital.
Details are still emerging, but
according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the attack was carefully
planned and designed to maximize casualties. An investigation into the incident
is underway. Here is what is known so far.
Perpetrators detained
Eleven people, including four
terrorists who were directly involved in the deadly shooting, have been
detained, the FSB said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the security service,
the weapons used in the shooting were organized in a cache in advance.
Russia’s Investigative Committee
also confirmed that four suspects who “committed the terrorist attack” on
Crocus City Hall were detained in Bryansk Region, “not far from the border with
Ukraine.”
According to the authorities, the
terrorists planned to flee to Ukraine.
Death toll rises
According to the Investigative
Committee, as of Saturday afternoon, the death toll in the attack has risen to
at least 133 people, including three children, as more bodies have been
discovered in the rubble. The Moscow Region Health Ministry said that at least
121 people were wounded, with 107 requiring hospitalization. Emergency services
continue to work at the site.
Putin’s address to the nation
Russian President Vladimir Putin
addressed the nation following the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall. He
expressed his condolences to the victims and families affected by the shooting,
and said that everyone responsible for the tragedy will be punished.
All the attackers involved have been
arrested and the security forces are doing everything possible to protect
Russian citizens against further mass murder, the president added.
The main thing now is to prevent
those who are behind this bloodbath from committing another crime, he said in
the address on Saturday.
Terrorist attack suspect
interrogated
On Saturday, RT Editor-in-Chief
Margarita Simonyan posted footage of the interrogation of one of the suspects.
The man in the video claims that he went on the killing spree after he was
promised 500,000 rubles ($5,400). The suspect also claimed that his handlers
had instructed him as to where the attack should take place. He said he was
ordered to “kill people there… doesn’t matter who.” The suspect claimed that
the terrorist act was organized on Telegram with an unknown person who provided
weapons.
Indiscriminate mass shooting
The Crocus City Hall in the town of
Krasnogorsk, on the western outskirts of Moscow, was attacked by gunmen on
Friday night. It happened before a concert by Russian rock band Picnic. The
venue, which has an estimated capacity of 7,500, was almost full.
The attackers killed unarmed
security guards at the entrance to the venue, and blocked it before continuing
their rampage inside.
According to eyewitnesses, the
gunmen opened fire at point-blank range on anyone who came within view. The
assailants then set the building on fire.
The blaze quickly spread across much
of the building, including the roof. Multiple fire brigades and aircraft were
deployed to put out the fire. The Emergencies Ministry said that around 13,000
square meters of the seven-story building were engulfed in flames.
Condolences and condemnation
Governments from across the world
have sent messages of condolences and support for the Russian people following
the massacre.
International organizations, as well
as EU and NATO officials, have condemned the terrorist attack.
Hundreds of mourners placed flowers
at Moscow’s diplomatic missions in Mexico, Moldova, Serbia, Canada, the US, and
Argentina.
Meanwhile, dozens of Muscovites have
been lining up at the city’s hospitals to donate blood to the victims of the
deadly shooting.
US security alerts
Earlier this month, the US issued a
warning to its citizens in Russia, urging them to avoid public places and mass
gatherings. The embassy claimed that “extremists” had imminent plans for an
attack in Moscow. Several other embassies followed suit, issuing similar
alerts. However, White House adviser John Kirby has said Washington had no
specific “advance knowledge” of Friday’s shooting.
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