President Vladimir Putin on Monday expressed his condolences to Tajikistan’s Emomali Rahmon over the killing last week of a 10-year-old Tajik student at a school outside Moscow, describing the attack as an “act of terrorism.”
Police arrested a 15-year-old student last Tuesday after he injured a security guard and fatally stabbed Kobiljon Aliyev, a fourth grader, at Uspenskaya Secondary School in the Moscow suburb of Gorki-2.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador in Dushanbe the following day, saying it believed the attack was motivated by ethnic hatred and calling for an impartial investigation.
Russian law enforcement officials have not publicly confirmed a motive in the attack, but according to several reports, photos found on the suspected attacker’s phone contained “extremist quotes” and the names of far-right organizations, as well as references to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.
Meeting with Rahmon in St. Petersburg on Monday, Putin said the investigation into the killing would be “carried through to the end” and offered condolences to the Tajik leader and the boy’s family.
“Crimes of this nature, especially those targeting children, are particularly horrific,” Putin said, adding that the killing had deeply shocked him.
Rahmon described the boy’s death as “unexpected” and said Tajik authorities had launched their own inquiry. Putin said Russian investigators would keep Tajik law enforcement informed of developments.
Last week, Telegram news channels with links to Russian security services published videos and photos they claimed the suspected assailant took during the knife attack at Uspenskaya Secondary School and then uploaded to social media.
In one video, the teenager encounters a group of fourth-grade students and their teacher in a school corridor. Brandishing a knife, he asks the children about their ethnicity.
Russian media reported that the mother of the boy who was killed worked as a janitor at Uspenskaya Secondary School.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
