ISIS and a ‘Ukrainian connection’ Inside Russia’s closed-door trial over the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack

More than a year after gunmen stormed the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow, the trial of 19 people accused in the deadly terrorist attack has begun, with proceedings taking place behind closed doors. Four are alleged to have carried out the assault, while the rest face charges as accomplices. The Russian prosecutors responsible for the case have combined multiple theories into one, trying to link the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the attack, to Ukraine. Here’s what we know about the trial as it gets underway.

The trial over the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack has begun in Moscow, more than a year after gunmen stormed the concert venue. On March 22, 2024, before the start of a concert by the Russian rock band Piknik, the assailants opened fire on the crowd and staff, and the building went up in flames. The terrorist attack left 149 people dead and one missing. Investigators say more than 600 others were injured.

Nineteen people are now in the dock — four accused of carrying out the attack and 15 charged as accomplices. Prosecutors say the gunmen were Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov — all citizens of Tajikistan. In court, according to the state news agency TASS, all four pleaded guilty and apologized to the victims.

The other defendants are accused of providing weapons, funds, and logistical support. Eight have pleaded guilty while seven have denied the charges. All 19 have already been added to Russia’s official registry of terrorists.

Russian investigators say the people who planned the attack are still at large. In June, the Investigative Committee announced that the search for “two organizers and four members of the terrorist organization” was ongoing. According to case materials reviewed by BBC News Russian, the alleged organizers are identified as A.I. Bekov and A.M. Khikmatov, while the other suspects have not been named. There is no public record of extradition requests or Interpol notices for either person.

Investigators have merged two theories into a single narrative, claiming the attackers were members of ISIS with a “Ukrainian connection,” BBC News Russian reports. Prosecutors say the attack was organized “in the interests of Ukraine’s top leadership” by the Islamic State-Khorasan (a branch of the Islamic State also known as ISIS-K) and that foreign intelligence services were also involved.

ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack almost immediately. But Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, continue to assert that there was a Ukrainian connection. Ukraine has denied any involvement. Even Islamic State fighters, the BBC notes, have said that by trying to shift blame to the West and Ukraine, Russia was implicitly acknowledging that it had failed to prevent an ISIS strike.

The term “Ukrainian connection” first appeared in official case files in March 2025, the BBC reports. The only public evidence linking the attackers to Ukraine are statements by the defendants themselves — testimony that human rights groups view with deep skepticism, given the beatings and torture the men endured after their arrest. The actions of security forces during the arrests have not been investigated.

Telegram channels close to Russian law enforcement have published evidence of the torture. At a 2024 preliminary hearing, the main suspects appeared in court with visible injuries. One had scraps of a plastic bag tied around his neck, suggesting he had been choked with it. Another had a bandaged ear, part of which was reportedly cut off during the arrest. A third was wheeled into the courtroom on a stretcher, with a catheter, and was non-responsive during the proceedings.

The trial’s first substantive hearing began in open session but was quickly closed. The case is being heard by a panel of three judges from the Second Western District Military Court, but because of the large number of people involved, the hearings are taking place at the Moscow City Court. About 150 victims attended the preliminary hearing, according to Interfax. The case file lists more than 2,000 victims in total, who have filed 27 civil claims.

On August 4, the court initially announced that the trial would be open to the public, but it was closed almost immediately because of classified materials and “security threats” to all participants, including the prosecutor, according to TASS. The Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported that the decision followed a letter from the Federal Security Service (FSB) warning of “possible provocations” targeting the prosecutor. The decision came despite a request by the victims’ representative to keep the proceedings open.

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