MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. Russian senator from the Karachay-Circassian Region Rauf Arashukov, who was arrested on murder charges, among others, has complained of being placed in a cell with an inmate serving a 17-year sentence on terrorism charges, a TASS correspondent reported from Moscow’s City Court on Thursday.

"I am a member of the Federation Council (Russia’s upper parliament house - TASS) and I have been place in a cell with a man sentenced to 17 years for terrorism. How come? I haven’t slept for three days running because of him," Arashukov said, adding that after being taken to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention facility he had to spend five days in quarantine, which, in his words, was more like being kept in a solitary confinement.

"I refused to eat their prison food and for these five days I haven’t gotten any packages from outside since it is apparently a quarantine, but in my opinion it’s a solitary confinement," the senator stated.

In response to Arashukov’s complaint, the prosecutor said the man is now "closer to the people."

"What can I say? The senator has got closer to the people," he said.

The investigator insisted on Arashukov’s arrest citing pressure on witnesses as a reason. "Arashukov has beaten over a witness who testified against him. And when I was in Karachay-Circassia people did not even believe that someone is ready to hear to them about Arashukov’s crimes," he said.

Moscow’s City Court on Thursday considered a motion from Arashukov’s defense lawyers challenging his arrest and ruled to uphold the first instance court’s decision.

Senator from the Karachay-Circassian Region Rauf Arashukov on January 30 was stripped of immunity and detained right at the session of the upper parliament house, the Federation Council. This was the first such case in the history of Russia’s upper house. He was charged with murder, as well as participating in a criminal group and exerting pressure on a witness. The senator, who was arrested until March 30, has pleaded not guilty, calling the criminal case against him politically motivated.

The senator’s father, Raul Arashukov, and a number of other people were arrested on suspicion of organizing a criminal group and embezzling gas from Russia’s gas giant Gazprom.