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Russian politician removed from parliament seat

By Clyde Hughes
Russian politician Rauf Arashukov, who was arrested in January in Parliament, was stripped of his seat Wednesday. Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE
Russian politician Rauf Arashukov, who was arrested in January in Parliament, was stripped of his seat Wednesday. Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE

May 22 (UPI) -- A Russian legislator was stripped of his seat in the upper house of parliament Wednesday, four months after he was arrested on murder charges.

The council voted unanimously among those lawmakers present to boot Rauf Arashukov from the body, saying he failed to submit a mandatory annual income declaration by an April deadline. Arashukov was arrested in the middle of a parliament session in January, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

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He tried to run, Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko told reporters in January after Arashukov's arrest. "He tried to get upstairs and out of the session. I told him to sit in his place because according to current rules, he has the right to speak and give an explanation."

Arashukov was arrested on charges that he arranged two contract killings in North Caucasus in Karachai-Chherkesia in 2010, a region he represents. Aslan Zhukov, a Circassian activist, was gunned down in Cherkessk in March of that year while politician Fral Shebzukhov was killed in May, the Moscow Times reported.

Authorities had arrested Arashukov's father as well, accused him of embezzling $442 million in gas supplies.

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