4 men charged in Moscow attack, showing signs of beatings at hearing as court says 2 accept guilt

MOSCOW, Russia -- Four men accused of staging the Russia performance hallway onslaught that killed much than 130 radical appeared earlier a Moscow tribunal Sunday showing signs of terrible beatings arsenic they faced ceremonial coercion charges. One appeared to beryllium hardly conscious during the hearing.

A tribunal connection said 2 of the suspects accepted their guilt successful the battle aft being charged successful the preliminary hearing, though the men's information raised questions astir whether they were speaking freely. There had been earlier conflicting reports successful Russian media outlets that said 3 oregon each 4 men admitted culpability.

Moscow's Basmanny District Court formally charged Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30; Shamsidin Fariduni, 25; and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19, with committing a radical violent onslaught resulting successful the decease of others. The discourtesy carries a maximum condemnation of beingness imprisonment.

The tribunal ordered that the men, each of whom are citizens of Tajikistan, beryllium held successful pre-trial custody until May 22.

Russian media had reported that the men were tortured during interrogation by the information services, and Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda and Fariduni showed signs of dense bruising, including swollen faces,

Rachabalizoda besides had a heavy bandaged ear. Russian media said Saturday that 1 of the suspects had his receptor chopped disconnected during interrogation. The Associated Press couldn't verify the study oregon the videos purporting to amusement this.

The 4th suspect, Faizov, was brought to tribunal from a infirmary successful a wheelchair and sat with his eyes closed passim the proceedings. He was attended by medics portion successful court, wherever helium wore a infirmary gown and trousers and was seen with aggregate cuts.

Court officials said Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda admitted guilt for the onslaught aft being charged.

The proceeding came arsenic Russia observed a nationalist time of mourning for the onslaught Friday connected the suburban Crocus City Hall performance venue that killed astatine slightest 137 people.

The attack, which has been claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, is the deadliest connected Russian ungraded successful years.

Russian authorities arrested the 4 suspected attackers Saturday, with 7 much radical detained connected suspicion of engagement successful the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said successful an code to the federation Saturday night. He claimed they were captured portion fleeing to Ukraine, thing that Kyiv firmly denied.

Events astatine taste institutions were canceled Sunday, flags were lowered to fractional unit and tv amusement and advertizing were suspended, according to authorities quality bureau RIA Novosti. A dependable watercourse of radical added to a makeshift memorial adjacent the burned-out performance hall, creating a immense mound of flowers.

"People came to a concert, immoderate radical came to unbend with their families, and immoderate 1 of america could person been successful that situation. And I privation to explicit my condolences to each the families that were affected present and I privation to wage tribute to these people," Andrey Kondakov, 1 of the mourners who came to laic flowers astatine the memorial, told AP.

"It is simply a calamity that has affected our full country," kindergarten worker Marina Korshunova said. "It conscionable doesn't adjacent marque consciousness that tiny children were affected by this event." Three children were among the dead.

Rescuers continued to hunt the damaged gathering and the decease toll roseate arsenic much bodies were recovered arsenic household and friends of immoderate of those inactive missing waiting for news. Moscow's Department of Health said Sunday it had begun identifying the bodies of those killed via DNA testing, saying the process would instrumentality astatine slightest 2 weeks.

Igor Pogadaev was desperately seeking immoderate details astir his wife, Yana Pogadaeva, who went to the onslaught concert. The past helium heard from her was erstwhile she sent him 2 photos from the Crocus City Hall euphony venue.

After Pogadaev saw the reports of gunmen opening occurrence connected concertgoers, helium rushed to the site, but couldn't find her successful the galore ambulances oregon among the hundreds of radical who had made their mode retired of the venue.

"I went around, searched, I asked everyone, I showed photographs. No 1 saw anything, nary 1 could accidental anything," Pogadaev told AP successful a video message.

He watched flames bursting retired of the gathering arsenic helium made frantic calls to a hotline for relatives of the victims, but received nary information.

As the decease toll mounted Saturday, Pogodaev scoured hospitals successful the Russian superior and the Moscow region, looking for accusation connected recently admitted patients.

His woman wasn't among the 182 reported injured, nor connected the database of 60 victims authorities had already identified, helium said.

The Moscow Region's Emergency Situations Ministry posted a video Sunday showing instrumentality dismantling the damaged euphony venue to springiness rescuers access.

Putin has called the onslaught "a bloody, barbaric violent act" and said Russian authorities captured the 4 suspects arsenic they were trying to flight to Ukraine done a "window" prepared for them connected the Ukrainian broadside of the border.

Russian media broadcast videos that seemingly showed the detention and interrogation of the suspects, including 1 who told the cameras helium was approached by an unidentified adjunct to an Islamic preacher via a messaging app and paid to instrumentality portion successful the raid.

Putin didn't notation IS successful his code to the nation, and Kyiv accused him and different Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the battle to stoke fervor for Russia's combat successful Ukraine, which precocious entered its 3rd year.

U.S. quality officials said they had confirmed the IS affiliate's claim.

"ISIS bears sole work for this attack. There was nary Ukrainian engagement whatsoever," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said successful a statement.

The U.S. shared accusation with Russia successful aboriginal March astir a planned violent onslaught successful Moscow, and issued a nationalist informing to Americans successful Russia, Watson said.

The raid was a large embarrassment for Putin and happened conscionable days aft helium cemented his grip connected the state for different six years successful a ballot that followed the harshest crackdown connected dissent since the Soviet times.

Some commentators connected Russian societal media questioned however authorities, who person relentlessly suppressed immoderate absorption activities and muzzled autarkic media, failed to forestall the onslaught contempt the U.S. warnings.

IS, which fought against Russia during its involution successful the Syrian civilian war, has agelong targeted Russia. In a connection posted by the group's Aamaq quality agency, the IS Afghanistan affiliate said that it had attacked a ample gathering of "Christians" successful Krasnogorsk.

The radical issued a caller connection Saturday connected Aamaq, saying the onslaught was carried retired by 4 men who utilized automatic rifles, a pistol, knives and firebombs. It said the assailants fired astatine the assemblage and utilized knives to termination immoderate concertgoers, casting the raid arsenic portion of the Islamic State group's ongoing warfare with countries that it says are warring against Islam.

In October 2015, a weaponry planted by IS downed a Russian rider level implicit Sinai, sidesplitting each 224 radical connected board, astir of them Russian vacationers returning from Egypt.

The group, which operates chiefly successful Syria and Iraq but besides successful Afghanistan and Africa, besides has claimed work for respective attacks successful Russia's volatile Caucasus and different regions successful past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and different parts of the erstwhile Soviet Union.