26/03/24
ISIS threatens to 'massacre' Putin and Russians and says Moscow attack terrorists' torture 'has increased our bloodlust' - as new footage shows one murderer caught hiding up a tree and Kremlin vows to 'kill everyone involved'
ISIS has threatened to 'massacre' Vladimir Putin and said the torture of the Moscow attack terrorists has 'increased our bloodlust' as new footage shows one suspect caught hiding up in a tree while the Kremlin has vowed to 'kill everyone involved'.
The four Russian nationals, identified as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30, Shamsidin Fariduni, 25, and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19, were all subjected to harsh detention conditions, and appeared in a Russian court on Sunday with severe injuries.
One video showed Rachabalizoda crying and screaming on the ground as Russian soldiers beat him with the butts of their guns, while a later video showed one officer cutting off his right ear and force-feeding it to him.
He later appeared in court with swollen facial features and a massive bandage over his right ear.
ISIS, which twice claimed responsibility for the attack, has today responded, calling on Putin to 'stop torturing Islamic prisoners' and warned that the images and videos of the torture only increased the 'bloodlust for thousands of their brother'.
New footage shows Russian soldiers hunting down another terror suspect, who was trying to hide from them by climbing up a tree. After they threw the man to the floor, the soldiers repeatedly smashed his head against the ground as they questioned him.
Meanwhile deputy chairman of Russia's security council Dmitry Medvedev urged security forces to 'kill' everyone who assisted in carrying out the terror attack.
ISIS said: 'To all wild Russians! Stop torturing Islamic State prisoners. Beware! Do not think that we do not have the opportunity to take revenge on you for our captured brothers.
'In Friday's attack, we proved to you that, God willing, the Mujahideen of the Islamic State can punish you for any of your horrors; without this revenge, a lot of blood will remain from the Islamic Ummah.
'Torture of captured Mujahideen in your name and publication of their videos increases your bloodlust for thousands of their brothers.
'This time, let's hit you so hard on the head that future generations, God willing, will remember you and these past pains and wounds will be forgotten.
'Yes! Very heavy, deadly, bloody, stabbing, burning and devastating blows. Wait! Expect a massacre, God willing. Very soon, God willing.'
Meanwhile new arrests were made in the case today. A father Isroil Islomov, 62, and his two sons Dilovar and Aminchon, were under anti-terrorism laws as suspects of the Crocus City Hall massacre.
They are believed to have sold the Renault used by the gunman to arrive at the venue, and to flee.
The Russian Investigative Committee sees them as accomplices of the terrorist who killed 143 people at the concert venue.
Dilovar, 24, is believed to be the last owner of the white Renault.
His relatives claim he is innocent and voluntarily went to the police when they started looking for him.
A statement said: 'With the aim of committing a terrorist act Shamsidin Fariduni involved Aminchon Islomov in the organised group no later than January 2024, and Dilovar Islomov no later than March 11, 2024.
'The investigation is requesting the court to arrest Aminchon Islomov, Dilovar Islomov and another suspect in the criminal case.' The court remanded them until May 22.
In the latest video of soldiers hunting down a suspect, they can be heard asking him for his first and last name while demanding he put his hands behind his back so he can be handcuffed.
One soldier asked: 'Do you know why you're being arrested? Do you know? Do you know why you're being arrested? What are you f****** working on?,' before he slammed the man's head into the ground.
He then asked: 'What were you doing in the tree? Why didn't you climb down?'
But Russia doesn't appear willing to back down in its treatment of the four men, who slaughtered 137 people at Crocus City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow on Friday night.'
Deputy chairman of Russia's security council Dmitry Medvedev urged security forces to 'kill' everyone who assisted in carrying out the terror attack.
Referring to the four men, Medvedev said: 'They were caught. Well done to everyone who caught them.
'Should they be killed? Necessary. And it will be. But it is much more important to kill everyone involved. Everyone, who paid, who sympathised, who helped. Kill them all.'
Despite the evidence of torture, dozens of soldiers have been awarded medals for capturing the four terrorists.
A Russian general was wheeled out to present medals to army troops from the Leningrad Military District.
Lt-Gen Esedulla Abachev 'presented state and departmental awards to the military personnel… who distinguished themselves during the detention of terrorists in the Bryansk region that had participated in the attack on Crocus City Hall'.
He 'personally congratulated each one, highly appreciating the accomplishment of the assigned combat missions'.
The awards were for 'Courage' and 'Military Distinction'.
Medals also went to members of the Akhmat-Russia regiment - loyal to Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov - who were also involved in the operation.
They 'distinguished themselves in the search for and neutralisation of particularly dangerous terrorists who had carried out a horrendous terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall.'
FSB special forces officers were also involved in detaining the four.
This comes as allegations have emerged that the Russian security council headed by Vladimir Putin was warned of the risk of an ISIS atrocity several days before attack on Crocus City Hall.
They were reportedly told that Tajikistan citizens could be used for a strike in Russia.
They were monitoring Wilayat Khorasan, or ISIS Khorasan or ISIS-K, and were aware that the organisation had tried but failed to stage atrocities in Austria, Germany and Kyrgyzstan, according to independent investigation outlet Dossier Centre.
'A few days before the terrorist attack, members of the Security Council received a warning that Tajik citizens could be used in terrorist attacks on Russian territory.
'Even before the attack on Crocus City Hall, a source close to the intelligence services told the Dossier Centre about this.'
If true, it makes the unusual lack of security at the concert venue even more surprising.
It may add to the suspicion, voiced by Ukraine among others, that the Russian security services were behind the horror, or had their own motives not to stop it.
'Russian law enforcement authorities monitored these reports and considered the risk of terrorist attacks in Russia high,' said the Dossier report.
'However, it was not possible to prevent the attack on Crocus City Hall, even despite US warnings about the threat.'
The Americans had given public and private warnings to the Russians earlier this month.
Europe is now on terror alert following the brutal Moscow massacre, after French president Emmanuel Macron revealed the ISIS offshoot that slaughtered 137 at a concert on Friday tried to carry out 'several' strikes in France.
France's security alert system, Vigipirate, was pushed to its highest on Sunday, after Macron held an emergency meeting to discuss the already tense security situation in the country, as it prepares to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
He revealed that ISIS-K, the ultra-brutal ISIS offshoot that Western intelligence believes carried out the attack in Moscow, has 'attempted several times to hit France.'
France's prime minister Gabriel Attal took to X to say: 'Given the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: emergency attack.'
French officials today held a meeting to look at specific measures to step up security, such as checking bags on entrance to concert halls or places of worship.
Travellers to and from the UK have been warned by officials at the Port of Dover to expect 'increased border processing times' following Macron's decision to raise France's border security checks.
Italy followed France's lead, implementing increased security checks around Holy Week observances leading up to Easter this weekend.
Both surveillance and checks will be increased, 'paying the most attention to the places of greatest aggregation and transit of people, as well as sensitive targets,' the Italian Interior Ministry said in a statement. Pope Francis has a busy schedule of events in Rome and at the Vatican in the days leading up to Easter Sunday.
In Germany, Interior Ministry spokesperson Cornelius Funke said the threat from Islamic extremists 'remains acute' but authorities' risk assessment hasn't changed so far as a result of the Moscow attack. Germany is set to host the 2024 Euros in the summer.
In Serbia, secret police officers with machine guns were seen patrolling the streets of Belgrade over the weekend. President Aleksandar Vucic said they and plainclothes police would monitor sports venues and shopping malls in the capital. The measure was criticized by Vucic's opponents as unnecessary and designed to scare the population.
British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt admitted yesterday that the UK should 'absolutely' be concerned about ISIS' comeback following its attack in Moscow.
Hunt told broadcasters that Europe has to be 'vigilant' to the threat the terror group poses.
'We are very lucky in this country that we have incredibly impressive intelligence agencies, who have been successful in stopping, in foiling a lot of terrorist threats over recent years.
'But we have to remain vigilant. And if it is Islamic State, they are utterly indiscriminate in what they do. They're prepared to murder in the most horrific way.
'And so that's why I think our hearts go out to everyone who's affected by this, wherever they are in the world, and, yes, we have to make sure that we're on our guard.'
But while Europe has been open in its anxiety about ISIS, Russia has still refused to admit that the terror group was responsible for the attack, instead pinning the blame on Kyiv, assertations Ukraine denies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly mentioned Islamic State in connection with the attackers, who he said had been trying to escape to Ukraine. Russia has been at war with Ukraine since it invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
Putin said some people on 'the Ukrainian side' had been prepared to spirit the gunmen across the border. Ukraine has denied any role in the attack and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Putin of seeking to divert blame for not securing Russia against such an attack by mentioning Ukraine.
Today, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to assign blame, urging the world to wait for the results of the investigation in Russia.
The Kremlin also launched a disinformation campaign targeting the UK, blaming MI6 and other Western intelligence agencies for the Moscow massacre. The Telegraph reported that social media bots had been sharing links to fake websites designed to trick people into believing they were real, established news outlets.
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