The Orenburg region prosecutor's office has opened a check into a hunger strike declared by former senator Rauf Arashukov, who is serving a life sentence at the special-regime Black Dolphin penal colony, TASS reported, citing the prosecutor's office.
Prosecutors traveled to Colony No. 6 to establish the circumstances of the case and will issue their findings once the check is complete.
How the hunger strike began
News of the hunger strike emerged on August 3. According to his lawyer, Arashukov, who works as a sewing machine operator, objected to working conditions during 40-degree heat, after windows and ventilation openings in his work cell were closed. He was punished for refusing to work with 10 days in a punishment cell, after which he stopped eating.
Background on the case
Rauf Arashukov was detained on January 30, 2019, during a session of the Federation Council. He and his father, Raul Arashukov, a former adviser to the general director of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, were later found guilty of forming a criminal community, organizing contract killings and large-scale theft. Both were sentenced to life in prison.
