ST. PETERSBURG, April 2 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) – Defendants in a criminal case over the St. Petersburg metro terror attack committed in 2017 did not confess to such grave charges and initiated a demonstration in a courtroom on Tuesday, RAPSI reports from the Leningrad District Military Court.

The case is heard by judges of the Moscow District Military Court.

There are 11 defendants in the case including 10 men and 1 woman. They are charged with participating in a terrorist group banned in Russia, committing the terrorist in the St. Petersburg metro and illegal trafficking in weapons and explosives.

On April 3, 2017, an unknown device exploded in a train between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. According to law enforcement authorities, 16 people died in the blast including a suicide bomber, over 50 were wounded; 112 persons were acknowledged as victims in the case.

Investigators believe that a group with a goal of spreading terrorist activity, including attacks on Russia and its citizens, was founded in Syria. According to investigation, suicide bomber Akbarzhon Dzhalilov manufactured two explosives and brought them to the St. Petersburg metro.

One of the bombs that Dzhalilov kept to himself exploded around 2:40 PM Moscow time between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. The second bomb located at Ploshchad Vosstaniya station failed to detonate because of its malfunction and was subsequently found and disarmed.