Russian journalists killed in Central African Republic

Russia's journalist Okhran Dzhemal, director Alexander Rastorguyev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko were killed near the city of Sibut (300 kilometers north of the Central African Republic’s capital city Bangui) on July 30.

The Russian embassy in the Central African Republic said on Tuesday three men having had been found dead. Later, Russia’s foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that three people with identification documents belonging to Dzhemal, Rastorguyev and Radchenko had been found dead and their bodies had been brought back to the capital Bangui.

According to a spokesperson for the United Nations, the bodies were found near an abandoned car with multiple gunshots. The organization promised assistance to the Central African Republic’s authorities in the investigation.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on murder charges.

Editor-in-Chief of the Ekho Moskvy radio station Alexei Venediktov said that Dzhemal, Radchenko and Rastorguyev had been shooting a documentary in the Central African Republic, TASS reported.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been informed about the situation following the death of a group of Russian journalists in the Central African Republic and is keeping a close eye on it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry is working both with the Russian law enforcement structures and with the diplomats who are in contact with law enforcers in the Central African Republic. Minister [Sergey Lavrov] has been informed about this situation. He keeps a close eye on it," she said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the country's embassy in the republic is in contact with the local authorities to prepare the transportation of bodies to Russia. According to the ministry, the Russian embassy in the Central African Republic was not informed about the presence of the Russian journalists in the country.

The Union of Journalists of Russia is trying to find out the circumstances of the deaths of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic, the union said in a statement.

Vestnik Kavkaza offers condolences to the families of the Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic.