Arashukovs sentenced to life imprisonment

Rauf Arashukov, a former senator (a member of the Russia's Federation Council) from the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR), and his father, Raul Arashukov, have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 23, the jury came to the conclusion that the involvement of Rauf and Raul Arashukov in the murders of Aslan Zhukov and Fral Shebzukhov had been proved. The motive for the murders was that the victims interfered with the activities of Arashukovs' criminal community, the jury has concluded. The state prosecution asked the court to sentence Rauf Arashukov and his father Raul Arashukov, accused within the case of a criminal community and contract killings, to life imprisonment. The Arashukovs refused to plead guilty.

According to investigators, Raul Arashukov had instructed his son to organize the murders of Aslan Zhukov, a deputy chairman of the "Adyge-Khase" movement, and Fral Shebzukhov, an adviser to the head of the KChR. In his turn, Rauf Arashukov ordered high-ranking law enforcers not to investigate Aslan Zhukov's murder.