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Driver of car used by Russian journalists in CAR had nothing to do with UN — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pledged that all necessary assistance would be provided to the relatives of the slain journalists

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. The driver of the car used by Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic had nothing to do with the United Nations as he was neither employed nor recommended by it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"Some reports say that the driver was allegedly employed or recommended by the United Nations, which has a mission in the area," she told the Dozhd television channel.

According to Zakharova, United Nations has denied these reports in reply to the Russian foreign ministry’s inquiry. "They said it is not true. They will officially refute this information," she stressed.

The Russian embassy in the Central African Republic said on Tuesday that three men had been found dead near the city of Sibut (300 kilometers north of the CAR’s capital city Bangui) on July 30. The Russian Foreign Ministry later said they had press cards featuring the names Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal. They entered the country with tourist visas.

The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the murder. Editor-in-chief of the Ekho Moskvy radio station Alexei Venediktov earlier told TASS that journalist Orkhan Dzhemal, cameraman Kirill Radchenko and director Alexander Rastorguyev had been working on a documentary in the CAR.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pledged that all necessary assistance would be provided to the relatives of the slain journalists.

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