Overview

• The trial of 19 men, including the four alleged gunmen, opened under tight security after the judge barred public attendance.
• State television footage showed the Tajik defendants with injuries consistent with torture, a practice critics say is meant to deter extremists.
• Prosecutors recounted months of planning for the March 22, 2024, concert hall assault and unveiled a thwarted attack planned in Kaspiysk, Dagestan.
• International experts deem the Islamic State Khorasan Province claim of responsibility credible, but Moscow continues to assert unfounded links to Ukraine and Western agencies.
• The move to closed hearings reflects Moscow’s demand for a swift verdict in a trial that has bolstered stricter migrant-control measures and state messaging.