As reported by the embassy of the Russian Federation in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday, the main version of what happened on the eve of the murder of the Russian film crew is a robbery. But even if the tragedy is not directly related to the professional activities of Orhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguev and Cyril Radchenko, who investigated the activities of military instructors from the Russian Federation in the CAR, their deaths may lead to changes in the rules of Russian journalists' work in hot spots.

On Wednesday, the authorities of the Central African Republic reported the launch of investigative measures to clarify the circumstances of the death of the Russian film crew. As official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said on the air of the Rossiya 1 channel, the leadership of the country informed Russian diplomats that a group of investigators had been sent to the place of the murder. Representatives of the UN police were sent to help them, the TASS agency reported with reference to the representative of the organization's secretary general. According to the Mayor of Sibu City (nearest to the place of the murder of a large settlement), Henry Depele, the local police are involved in the investigation.

Recall, the death of the Russian film crew in the CAR became known the day before, when the media reported the murder of three unidentified men with press cards of Russian media. The dead were journalist Orhan Dzhemal, documentary filmmaker Alexander Rastorguev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko. However, the details of their deaths have not yet been clarified. According to one version (it is told by the surviving driver of the crew), the car was fired from ambush on the highway, journalists were killed on the spot. According to the local online publication Palmarescentrafrique.com, members of the film crew were abducted, interrogated, and then killed - possibly representatives of the Muslim insurgent movement "Selek". "It was a big mistake to move without security," the publication notes, which had photos of the dead. Their bodies will be transported to Russia this Saturday.

In the CAR, the film crew arrived in the framework of a joint project with the online resource "Center for Investigation Management" (LRC). According to the head of LRC Andrei Konyakhin, several versions of the circumstances of the murder are considered, including robbery and the attack of Islamists. There are questions also to the surviving driver of the group, who is suspected of collaborating with the killers. At the same time, as TASS explained at the Russian embassy in Bangui, while the main version in the murder case is an attack with a view to robbery.

The question remains as to who was responsible for the safety of journalists. The LRC is assured that during the preparation of the trip of three Russians security issues and routes of travel were discussed with one of the staff of the UN mission in the CAR, he also recommended to the crew of the driver. However, the head of the United Nations Information Center in Moscow, Vladimir Kuznetsov, told Kommersant that he had spoken with the press secretary of the mission in the CAR and assured that "the UN mission did not provide Russian journalists with either a driver or a vehicle." "I know my colleagues who work in different missions, I know what the situation is at the site and what is the price of the mistake. And bypassing or in violation of the mandate, no one will provide services, "Mr. Kuznetsov explained to Kommersant.

The death of journalists in the CAR can in the future affect the working conditions of Russian journalists in hot spots.

As the head of the State Duma committee for information policy, information technologies and communications Leonid Levin said on Wednesday, a draft law on social guarantees for journalists working in hot spots can be adopted in the fall. "We are actively engaged in it, now we are preparing various amendments," the chairman of the Russian Union of Journalists, Vladimir Solovyev, confirmed to Kommersant. "Recently we had a meeting where Leonid Levin was present, where we were just discussing how and in what format it is possible to change the law about the press ». "We will try to make sure that our colleagues who constantly work in dangerous places, feel calm and confident, they could save lives and health, as well as undergo the necessary treatment if they suddenly get injured," the interlocutor told Kommersant. Among the possible innovations, according to Mr. Soloviev, - increased responsibility of the editors, increased insurance for journalists, treatment and rehabilitation in military hospitals and holiday homes. Meanwhile, the president of the International Federation of Journalists, Philippe Lerut, on Wednesday called on the UN General Assembly to adopt a global convention on the safety of journalists and media workers.