Nearly 48 hours after the attack, the identity of the Crocus City Hall attackers is still at the heart of questions.
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday that the "terrorists" involved in the attack on a Moscow concert hall on Friday evening "have no nationality", while Russian media say that the The perpetrators of the shooting were from Tajikistan, a country allied to Russia.
An assault claimed by the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS).
During a telephone exchange, Emomali Rakhmon “strongly condemned the cruel bloody attack at Crocus City Hall, emphasizing that the terrorists have neither nationality, nor homeland, nor religion,” the press service of the Tajik presidency.
Russia targets 'foreign citizens'
Individuals opened fire and set fire to this concert hall, in the suburbs of Moscow, on Friday evening, killing at least 133 people, the deadliest attack to hit Russia since the early 2000s. The Russian government announced Saturday the arrest of 11 people, including “four terrorists”, described as “foreign citizens”, involved in the attack.
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Moscow attack: 11 people arrested, including four suspected attackers
According to Russian media and MP Alexander Khinstein, some of the suspects are from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia with a Muslim majority neighboring Afghanistan and where ISIS is active.
The Telegram channel Mash, known to be close to Russian law enforcement, had notably broadcast videos showing suspects intercepted and violently interrogated, claiming that one of them was “a native of Tajikistan” and another did not speak “ than in Tajik”.
Versions denied by the country's authorities on Saturday, claiming to have "not received confirmation from the Russian authorities" on this subject and criticizing "false information".
The Tajik Interior Ministry also assured that three Tajik nationals who were suspected of being involved in the attack and whose photos had circulated online were "not guilty", not being present on site on evening of the attack.
Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country has been confronted with a multitude of Islamist armed movements.
In recent years, citizens of the country have been accused of being linked to jihadist attacks, particularly in Iran.
“Solidarity with the Russian people”
“At this moment of national mourning in Russia, the Tajik head of state underlined the solidarity of all Tajik citizens with the Russian people,” the press service of the Tajik presidency also argued this Sunday.
For its part, the Kremlin announced at the end of this telephone conversation that the “close” cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan in the field of the fight against terrorism would “intensify”.
Neither Vladimir Putin nor the Russian security services (FSB) have, however, mentioned the IS claim of responsibility for this attack, while the jihadist group notably released a video of the attack, apparently filmed by the attackers.
The Russian government has also not mentioned the jihadist threats that have weighed on Russia for decades, nor the fact that Moscow is fighting IS in Syria.
Also read “Russia is experiencing its Bataclan”: why the Islamic State group targeted Moscow
The authorities, on the other hand, put forward a Ukrainian lead, affirming that the attackers were trying to go to Ukraine where they had contacts.
But neither the Kremlin nor investigators have provided details on the nature of these links or proof of their existence.
The accusations were rejected by kyiv, which believes that Vladimir Putin is seeking to exploit this tragedy to incriminate Ukraine.