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CAR investigators examine cite of Russian journalists’ murder, says embassy

On July 30, three Russian journalists were killed in the Central African Republic

RABAT, August 2. /TASS/. Investigators from the gendarmerie of the Central African Republic on Thursday inspected the site of murder of three Russian journalists and questioned local residents, Viktor Tokmakov, Russia’s charge d’affaires ad interim in the republic told TASS.

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Russia plans to send investigators to CAR in wake of journalists’ murder

"A team of gendarmes has come to the site where it is taking investigative actions to establish the circumstances of the murder near the city of Sibut," he said. "The investigators have done a detailed examination of the spot and questioned the inhabitants of nearby villages for essential data."

"The journalists’ filming equipment has disappeared without a trace from scene of the crime and what remained there and what the authorities brought to the capital Bangui earlier were their clothes, HDs and USB flash drives," Tokmakov said.

"There is no new important data on the case so far but quite possibly something will crop up after the investigators return to Bangui," he said. "At this moment, attack for robbery is the predominant version [of the criminals’ motives]."

The Russian Embassy in the Central African Republic said on Tuesday three Russian citizens had died in the area of Sibut to the north of the capital. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said later journalist IDs issued in the name of Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal had been found on the men’s bodies.

They had obtained tourist visas and were going to shoot a documentary.

The Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson, Maria Zakharova said the families of the killed journalists would get all the necessary assistance.

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