Moscow bombing: Suspect's mother defends son as death toll rises

Alisher Kasimow, a 32-year-old chef and businessman, is the eighth individual implicated in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, now appearing before Moscow's Basmanny Court. Despite the charges, his mother ardently proclaims his innocence to the public.

The death toll from the terrorist attack near Moscow has escalated to 144, with an additional 182 individuals receiving hospital treatment. It was reported on Tuesday that Russia's Investigative Committee is calling for the arrest of Kasimow, the latest suspect linked to the incident at Crocus City Hall.

The case files have been submitted to the Basmanny facility, where Kasimow has already faced the court. A preventive measure is expected to be decided upon shortly.

Details emerge on Telegram about Alisher Kasimow's mother, the landlord who unwittingly rented an apartment to the terrorists involved.

At 59 years old, she contends that her son was unaware of the tenants' malicious intents, having been told they were in town for construction work. Learning of her son's arrest prompted her immediate travel to Moscow.

"He is a father to three young children. Together with his wife, they are burdened with a mortgage for that very apartment. My son is a hard worker, a fact that has always filled me with pride. The accusations against him couldn't be further from the truth," she expressed, as reported by the Baza channel.

In a meeting with security and local officials from Moscow and its surrounding area on Monday evening, Putin emphasized the need to ascertain the role of Islamists in the Krasnogorsk attack.

"We have established that radical Islamists, against whom the Muslim world has battled for centuries, committed this heinous act. We know the perpetrators, but now we seek to uncover the mastermind behind this crime against Russia and its people," he elaborated.