Federal agents arrest Russian senator in connection with 2010 murder investigation

Federal agents arrested a Russian senator in the middle of the Federation Council’s assembly hall on Wednesday, January 30. Earlier, Rauf Arashukov’s colleagues voted in a closed session to strip him of his legal immunity and sanction his arrest in connection with two murders committed in 2010.

According to reports in the Russian media, three witnesses have testified that the 32-year-old senator from Karachay-Cherkessia was involved in the killing of a youth activist named Aslan Zhukov and the death of Fral Shebzukhov, an adviser who worked for then Karachay-Cherkessia President Boris Ebzeyev.

Arashukov has served in the Federation Council since 2016, after working for Gazprom subsidiaries in Stavropol and Karachay-Cherkessia.