Tajikistan: The homeland of Russian massacre suspects plagued by poverty

Subscribe To Our Breaking News Emails For Free Real-time Alerts

Subscribe To Our No-cost News Alerts

Authorities have identified the individuals responsible for the tragic Moscow theater attack as four men hailing from Tajikistan. These men are among the numerous citizens from the poorest regions of the former Soviet republics who immigrate to Russia yearly in the hopes of living average lives. However, these individuals are often left to endure meager lifestyles with little support.

Tajikistan is a country that is suffering both from extreme poverty and religious conflicts. In the 1990s, the government faced opposition from hard-line Islamists during a civil war which caused a lot of damage to the country. Recently, the Islamic State group in Afghanistan has been recruiting heavily from Tajikistan, and they're thought to be responsible for the Moscow massacre as well, where 137 people were killed.

The four people who were brought before a Moscow court on Sunday evening facing accusations of terrorism seemed to have been physically attacked or hurt while being apprehended. One of them had to be transported on a stretcher wearing solely a hospital garment.

Take a glance at the individuals, extremist organizations, and political background associated with the assault in Moscow:

The oldest person accused is Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev aged 32. It is possible that he was residing in Russia unlawfully. In the courtroom, he was positioned in a glass enclosure and appeared with facial injuries including a black eye and bruising.

Court. He is accused of opening fire, killing one person and injuring three others at a private party in Moscow. Mirzoyev is being held in custody as the investigation continues. The individual named Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev is presently enclosed in a transparent structure in Basmanny District Court due to his supposed involvement in the tragic shooting incident at Crocus City Hall last Friday. The accused is suspected of taking part in the firing of a weapon resulting in the death of one individual and injury to three others. Based on the ongoing investigation, Mirzoyev is being detained in custody.

The blog section is protected by The Associated Press copyright laws of 2024. All privileges are reserved.

According to reports, Mirzoyev was given permission to reside in Novosibirsk for three months, but his permit has now expired. A video of his questioning, which was circulated on social media in Russia, apparently shows him indicating that he was just staying in a hostel in Moscow with one of the other people involved. Although the court confirmed that he has a wife and four kids, it is not known if he has a job.

Reportedly, a man named Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda who is 30 years old, does not have a job. He is a registered resident in Russia but is not able to recall which city it is. During his court appearance, his head was wrapped with a bandage as Russian officials allegedly amputated one of his ears.

According to reports, Shamsidin Fariduni, who is 25 years old, seemed to have a stable life compared to the other four suspects. He lived in Krasnogorsk, a suburb in Moscow where the murders occurred, and worked in a factory that produced flooring. It is said that during questioning, he claimed that he was paid 500,000 rubles (which is around $5,425) to execute the attack. This amount is equivalent to about two and a half years of the average salary in Tajikistan.

Shamsidin Fariduni, who is believed to be involved in the shooting incident at the concert hall at Crocus City Hall, is presently stationed in court, encased behind a wall made of transparent glass.

Nineteen-year-old Mukhammadsobir Fayzov was taken to court on a stretcher, with a tube attached to him, and it seemed that he was losing and gaining consciousness. It was apparent that he had either lost or injured one of his eyes. Previously, he had worked as an intern in a hair salon situated in the declining industrial city of Ivanovo. However, according to reports, he left that position in November.

Four people are suspected of participating in an attack on a concert hall that led to the death of 137 individuals. The suspects, Rachabalizoda Saidakrami, Dalerdjon Mirzoyev (also spelled Dalerdzhon), Muhammadsobir Fayzov, and Shamsidin Fariduni, are shown in a group of pictures that were made on March 24, 2024. The attack is believed to have been carried out by these individuals.

Around 1.5 million Tajik people have left their homeland due to the crippling poverty and lack of employment opportunities in their mountainous, landlocked country. Although Tajikistan has a wealth of mineral resources, foreign investment has been slow to arrive, mainly because of a lack of geological information and other challenges.

Despite being predominantly Muslim, the city's population of almost 10 million is constantly experiencing tensions linked to their religion.

During a civil war that lasted from 1992 to 1997, the government caused significant damage to the economy and potentially killed 150,000 people. Throughout this period, Islamists were a prominent adversary. Once the conflict subsided, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon made a concerted effort to limit the freedom of religion.

The authorities put a cap on the number of mosques that can be constructed, disallowed females and minors below 18 years to participate in religious services at these places of worship, and stopped the teaching of religion to children outside of their abodes. Opponents claim that these restrictions forced individuals to gravitate towards covert and extremist Muslim groups through the internet.

There is no known official statement made by Tajikistan regarding the detainment of the four individuals implicated in the assault. However, Rahmon supposedly imparted to Russian President Putin via phone conversation that those who commit acts of terrorism are devoid of national identity, homeland, and religious affiliation.

In the last 25 years, Russia has faced several terrorist attacks that have been linked to Islamic extremists. Along with other incidents, a major event occurred in 2004 when a group of Chechen separatists took over a school in Beslan, resulting in the death of over 300 individuals. Additionally, the 1999 apartment bombings were also attributed to Chechen separatists and were the reason for the second Russia-Chechnya war.

From 2015 onward, several assaults were either claimed or assigned to the Islamic State faction. This organization protested against Russia's intrusion in Syria, where Moscow aimed to change the course of the conflict and give an advantage to Bashar Assad's troops.

Russia and Uzbekistan recently conducted military exercises at the Harb-Maidon firing range in Tajikistan, with tanks being utilized during the drills.

When IS announced its caliphate in various regions of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, numerous individuals from different parts of the globe flocked to become part of the radical organization. This group of people consisted of many thousands from the Soviet Union, including hundreds from Tajikistan.

Gulmurod Khalimov, a former officer of Tajikistan's special forces, became a significant member of IS when he left and joined them in Syria back in 2015. However, the Russian military claimed that Khalimov lost his life during a Russian airstrike in Syria during 2017.

The group known as IS declared that they were responsible for the bomb attack on a Russian plane in 2015, which occurred during its return from the holiday destination of Sharm al-Sheik in Egypt. Moreover, two years later, they also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that took place on the subway in St. Petersburg, resulting in the death of 15 individuals.

Russian authorities claimed that they had eradicated a group of individuals associated with IS who were plotting to assault a synagogue, two weeks before the devastating Moscow theater tragedy. Prior to that, they also disclosed that they had disposed of six IS combatants in the adjoining area of Chechnya called Ingushetia.