(New York) - Russia should ensure that the bombing at one of Moscow's international airports on the afternoon of January 24, 2011, is investigated in full accordance with international human rights standards and that those responsible are brought to justice, Human Rights Watch said today.
The bomb exploded at 4:40 p.m. local time in Domodedovo airport's crowded international arrivals hall. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the explosion killed at least 35 people and wounded as many as 130.
The authorities are investigating the bombing as an act of terrorism. It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was carried out by a suicide bomber or whether a bomb had been planted in baggage or other parts of the terminal.
"Terrorism is a repudiation of human rights," said Anna Sevortian, Russia director at Human Rights Watch. "Today's bombing deprives its victims of the most fundamental right - the right to life. Nothing can justify this horrific attack on civilians."
