In a shocking revelation, the men accused of carrying out the deadly Moscow terror attack, which claimed the lives of 137 people, appeared in court exhibiting visible signs of severe physical injuries. The suspects, Mukhammadsobir Faizov, Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, and Shamsidin Fariduni, bore bruised and swollen faces, raising suspicions of abuse and torture while in custody.

Among the accused, Faizov was seen in a wheelchair, requiring medical attention due to his weakened condition. He struggled to speak and displayed a severely swollen eye, indicating potential overall injuries. Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda, and Fariduni also bore facial bruises, appearing as a deliberate demonstration of aggression and brutality, seemingly intended to send a message about the consequences of crossing the Russian authorities.

Further disturbing evidence of alleged torture surfaced during the court proceedings. Mirzoyev had a plastic bag partially still attached to his neck, reminiscent of suffocation torture techniques. Moreover, Rahabalizoda was observed with a heavily bandaged ear, seemingly corroborating an online video that appeared to depict Russian personnel forcibly severing a part of his ear and forcing it into his mouth during his arrest.

Social media footage also emerged, showing Fariduni being subjected to torture. Military radio electrodes were purportedly attached to his genitals, while security service officials taunted him. These distressing images and videos left many experts astonished, remarking on the brazen display of Russia's security services' brutality.

The Kremlin has stayed silent, refusing to comment on the allegations of abuse raised against the suspects. However, this incident has drawn attention to the long-standing knowledge of the Russian security services' use of severe tactics, but never before has it been openly showcased with such audacity, according to analysts.

The abuse suffered by terror suspects in Russia has been documented previously, with Human Rights Watch reporting in 2018 on the torture inflicted on Akram Azimov and his brother Abror, who were linked to a suicide bombing on the St. Petersburg metro in 2017. The methods used against them included electric shocks, waterboarding, and severe beatings. However, in the past, such incidents were not publicly broadcast, nor were the individuals involved hailed as heroes.

Experts argue that these recent acts of brutality highlight Russia's increasing militarization and tolerance towards violence in the wake of the Ukraine war. Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia's security services, emphasized how these incidents revealed the extent to which Russia has accepted new methods of conducting warfare, indicating a shift in societal norms.

While evidence of torture and mistreatment in Russia has emerged in the past, including videos depicting the torture and execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and reports of torture against Ukrainian civilians in detention centers, the treatment of the Moscow terror suspects represents a harrowing new milestone in the normalization of violence by officials in President Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Prominent human rights advocate and former director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, expressed his concern, stating that the lack of consequences for the alleged torturers sends a clear message that the Kremlin tacitly accepts such flagrant criminality, as witnessed in Ukraine.

The trial of the Moscow terror suspects is ongoing, and the world is watching closely, hoping for transparency, accountability, and justice to prevail in the face of these disturbing allegations.