Russian authorities have normalized torture after the Moscow terrorist attack

Russian authorities are no longer shy about publicly demonstrating the torture of suspects in court. Experts interviewed by The New York Times say this comes as Russians become increasingly tolerant of violence.

On March 24, the Basmanny Court of Moscowsent four people to pre-trial detention in connection with the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. One of them, Dalerjon Mirzoev, was taken to court with bruises on his face and a swollen eye. He had pieces of a plastic bag and tape around his neck. Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda was also brought to court with bruises and a bandage on his ear. Shortly before this, footage circulated on social networks in which a security officer cuts off part of his ear and stuffs it into his mouth.

A third suspect, Shamsidin Fariduni, was also brought to court with bruises and a swollen left cheek. Before this, telegram channels close to the security forces published footage of Fariduni being tortured with electric shock. The fourth defendant, Muhammadsobir Fayzov, was brought to court in a wheelchair, with a catheter and a urine bag. Journalists from the courtroom reported that he did not react in any way to what was happening around him.

Previously, Russian authorities almost never demonstrated torture publicly, writes the NYT. The publication's experts call this change in tone revenge for the terrorist attack and a warning to potential terrorists.

Representative of the “Team Against Torture” Olga Sadovskaya, in a conversation with NYT, suggested that videos of abuse of suspects could be published for two reasons.

“Firstly, to show people who could have planned a new terrorist attack what can happen to them, and secondly, to show society that there is revenge for all the people who suffered in this terrorist attack. The authorities demonstrate that violence is acceptable and normalize the torture of certain people,” she said.

Sadovskaya and other interlocutors of the publication noted that the blatant demonstration of torture also shows the degree of militarization of Russian society and its tolerance for violence against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“This is a sign of how far we have come in adopting new methods of warfare,” said Russian intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov. He called torture and the official response to it "a signal to the military that horrific violence is now acceptable and encouraged."

According to lawyer Ivan Pavlov, torture has long been used against defendants in terrorism and murder cases, but it usually remains out of public view.

“They used to hide it from the general public, but now they don't because the general public is ready for violence. This is no longer something extremely unpleasant for the general public because of the war,” Pavlov said.

One of Alexei Navalny’s associates, Ruslan Shaveddinov, called on Russians to condemn both the actions of the terrorists and the torture inflicted on them.

“I don’t feel sorry for the terrorist at all. I wish him all the best. But it is important to say: torture is not normal. Torture as a phenomenon should not exist. The cops and the state today torture a terrorist, they see approval of this method, and tomorrow they will torture an activist/journalist/anyone else. They don't know any other way. A cop who tortures a terrorist is no different from that terrorist. It’s also about violence and evil, just like this scum that killed in Crocus,” he wrote .

Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov refused to respond to the journalist's request to comment on the fact that traces of torture appeared on the bodies of those suspected of committing a terrorist attack. “I leave this question unanswered,” he said .

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