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Director-General condemns the attack that claimed the lives of three Russian journalists Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev and Kirill Radchenko in Central African Republic

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today condemned the murders of three Russian journalists, freelance war reporter Orkhan Dzhemal, documentary filmmaker Alexander Rastorguyev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko, on 30 July outside the town of Sibut in Central African Republic.

“I condemn this horrific attack that claimed the lives of journalists Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko,” the Director-General said. “I call upon the national authorities to spare no effort in investigating the circumstances of this shocking attack and to bring its perpetrators to trial. It is fundamental for society as a whole that journalists be able to carry out their mission of informing the public without fearing for their lives.”

The three journalists were working on a documentary for the Russian online news organization Investigation Control Centre (TsUR), when they were shot dead by unknown assailants in an ambush. Their driver managed to escape after being wounded.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity-building and a range of actions, notably the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

See also: UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91