MOSCOW, January 30 (RAPSI) – Rauf Arashukov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, has been charged with murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering, the Investigative Committee reports.

Investigators claim that the member of parliament’s upper house was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movement’s deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican president’s advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010.

Moreover, investigators believe that the senator is implicated to natural gas embezzlement from Gazprom company.

During interrogation the defendant said that he is e not fluent in Russian language and asked for the services of an interpreter.

He was arrested in the Federation Council on January 30. The upper house of parliament stripped Arashukov of his immunity and gave consent to his prosecution upon an application by the Prosecutor General.