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Ex-senator sentenced to life in prison for double murder, theft of $62 mln worth of gas

A sentence of life imprisonment was requested by Prosecutor Maria Semenenko

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. The Moscow City Court sentenced former senator from the Karachay-Circassian Region Rauf Arashukov and his father, ex-advisor to Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, Raul Arashukov, to life imprisonment for organizing the murder of two people and stealing 4.4 billion rubles worth of natural gas.

"The court ruled to sentence Arashukov Rauf and Raul to life imprisonment," Judge Yelena Guchenkova proclaimed.

The court also ruled that 12 million rubles be seized from the defendants and used as compensation to the families of the victims.

Earlier, the jury found the defendants guilty of establishing a criminal group, as well as organizing the assassination of Aslan Zhukov, head of the "Adyge Hase" youth movement, and Fral Shebzukhov, advisor to the Head of the Karachay-Circassian Region. They were also found guilty of stealing 4.4 billion rubles worth of natural gas from Gazprom. The murders were committed to cover up the gas theft.

A sentence of life imprisonment was requested by Prosecutor Maria Semenenko.

There are four more defendants in this case: former Acting Head of the regional Russian Investigative Committee directorate Kazbek Bulatov, former head of the regional Centre for Combating Extremism department Timur Betuganov, former Investigative Committee detective Andrey Filippov and former director of the "Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol" subsidiary Guzer Khashukayev. Their sentences will be announced later.

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