Four defendants in Moscow-area concert hall terror attack case have filed an appeal against their arrest in the Moscow city court.

Tass reports that Isroil Islomov and his sons Aminjon and Dilovar as well as Kyrgyz national Alisher Kasimov have appeal a ruling by Moscow’s Basmanny district court on their arrest in the Moscow city court.  

Tass reported on April 3 that the Moscow city court has upheld the latter’s ruling on remanding Isroil Islomov.  

Moscow’s Basmanny district court on March 25 remanded the three men – Isroil Islomov and his two sons Aminjon and Dilovar -- into custody for two months until May 25.  

Tass says criminal proceedings have reportedly been instituted against Isroil Islomov under the provisions of Article 205 (3) of Russia’s Penal Code – terrorist attack committed by an organized group and resulting in death of people.    The accused reportedly did not admit guilt in the crime charged against him and appealed his arrest.

Dilovar Islomov is believed to be the last owner of Renault that the attackers allegedly used to flee.  

According to investigators, the Islomovs knew about the terrorists' plans.  The Islomovs deny their guilt, Tass says. 

Kyrgyz national Alisher Kasimov is accused of renting out the apartment to other defendants.

Both Islomov brothers are Russian citizens; they lived in Tver and worked as cab drivers.  

Their father, Isroil Islomov, is the national of Tajikistan and had a residence permit in Russia.  

Recall, a terrorist attack was carried out at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow oblast on March 22.

The attack began at around 20:00 MSK, shortly before the Russian band Picnic was scheduled to play a sold-out show at the venue.  Four gunmen carried out a mass shooting, as well as slashing attacks on the people gathered at the venue, and used incendiary devices to set the venue on fire.  Investigators said the attack had killed 144 people (including those who died later in hospital), and more than 551 concertgoers were injured by gunshot wounds and fire-related injuries.  

The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-K), a regional affiliate of the Islamic State terror group, claimed responsibility in a statement through the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency shortly after the attack.  Amaq also published a video filmed by one of the attackers.  It showed the attackers shooting victims and slitting the throat of a victim, while the filming attacker was reciting the takbir, praising God and speaking against infidels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack a “barbaric terrorist act” and said that the gunmen had been arrested.  He also declared March 24, 2024 to be a national day of mourning, and sought to link assailants to Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Ministry called the incident a terrorist attack.  It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia since the Beslan school siege in 2004.  Investigators reportedly detained 12 people in relation to the attack, including four suspects, who were charged with terrorism later on March 24.