Senator of 'United Russia' Accused of Organizing Murder and Arrested During Meeting

Russia's Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov has requested the Federation Council to revoke Senator Dmitry Savelyev's immunity for his alleged involvement in organizing a murder, TASS has reported from law enforcement sources.

The Federation Council approved the Prosecutor General's request during a closed session, said Vyacheslav Timchenko, chairman of the parliamentary rules and organization committee. The senator was asked to leave the session hall and was arrested by law enforcement agents as he exited for “investigative actions,” according to RIA Novosti.

The specifics of the case against Savelyev remain unclear. According to sources in law enforcement cited by Kommersant, the main investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation will charge the senator under Article 105 of the Criminal Code (murder). Today, August 2, the preliminary investigation agency intends to file a request for his arrest at the Basmanny Court.

During the meeting of the Federation Council, Savelyev called the prosecution groundless and described the evidence against him as “fabricated,” said Senator Timchenko to RBC.

According to the Mash Telegram channel, the case against Savelyev is linked to his work at Transneft in the late 1990s.

Dmitry Savelyev represents the Tula region in the upper house of parliament. He became a senator in 2016 and was a member of the Budget and Financial Markets Committee until November 2023. He then joined the Economic Policy Committee.

From 1998 to 1999, Savelyev served as president of Transneft. He was first elected to the State Duma in 1999 and was a member of the Union of Right Forces faction. He later ran as a candidate for the Rodina party and was elected in 2007 from United Russia, serving as the first deputy of the faction leader.

Savelyev is under sanctions from the EU, UK, USA, and several other countries due to his support of the war in Ukraine. He has been awarded medals for bravery and honors for services rendered to the fatherland of the second class.