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Moscow places special importance to investigation into Russian reporters’ murder in Africa

On April 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is to bring the matter up during his meeting with Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR Mankeur Ndiaye

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Moscow places particular importance to the investigation into the murder of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic that occurred in 2018, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Ekho Moskvy (or Echo of Moscow) radio station on Thursday.

"When an opportunity arises, we point out that we place particular importance on this case," she said when asked if Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov planned to bring the matter up during his meeting with Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) Mankeur Ndiaye, scheduled to take place on April 29.

At the same time, Zakharova noted that the issue was beyond the UN official’s competence but "a number of issues related to the situation in the country" would be discussed at the meeting.

Russian journalists’ death

The bodies of three men were found near the city of Sibut (300 kilometers north of the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui) on July 30, 2018. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the three had been carrying press cards in the names of Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal.

The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into the journalists’ murder. Editor-in-chief of the Ekho Moskvy (or Echo of Moscow) radio station Alexei Venediktov told TASS that journalist Orkhan Dzhemal, cameraman Kirill Radchenko and director Alexander Rastorguyev had been working on a documentary in the Central African Republic.