Istanbul prosecutor seeks hefty prison terms for ISIS members tied to Crocus attack

The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against five ISIS members arrested in Türkiye for their connection to the perpetrators of the March 22, 2024 terrorist attack at Moscow's Crocus City Hall.

Report informs via Anadolu that the indictment names suspects Hofizhon Usmonov, Muteulo Asoev, Rahmatullo Salikov, Muhammadrahim Fayzov, and Hamza Muhammad for maintaining contact with the direct perpetrators of the Moscow attack - Shamsidin Fariduni and Saidakram Rajabalizoda.

The investigation found that one of the accused, Tajik citizen Fayzov, arrived in Türkiye with his family and terrorist Rajabalizoda via Istanbul Airport on January 5, 2024. Fayzov and another suspect Usmonov lived for some time in a so-called ISIS "safe house" in Esenyurt with Fariduni.

On March 28, Fayzov purchased bus tickets from Istanbul to Agri, planning to reach Afghanistan through Iran. However, he was detained with his family while attempting to leave the bus.

Three other suspects - Usmonov, Salikov, and Asoev - were arrested on March 24 at the Esenler bus station. They also intended to travel to Iran. Investigators believe all detainees acted together and coordinated their movements.

Searches of the suspects' phones revealed extremist photos and correspondence about planning a new terrorist attack at the Vegas shopping center in exchange for large monetary compensation from ISIS.

The prosecution seeks prison sentences of 7.5 to 15 years for all five defendants on charges of "membership in an armed terrorist organization." The case will be heard by Istanbul's 25th High Criminal Court.

The Crocus City Hall attack occurred on the evening of March 22, 2024. 144 people were killed and 551 were injured. By the morning of March 23, four perpetrators were detained in the Bryansk region: Dalerjon Mirzoev, Saidakram Rajabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.