Slain Russian reporters worked on Russian mercenaries story

Opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky says the three Russian journalists killed in the Central African Republic had been working on an investigation into Russian mercenaries.

The reporters were killed in an ambush earlier in the week outside the town of Sibut in the CAR, according to local and Russian officials.

Khodorkovsky said on Facebook Wednesday that the journalists were collaborating with his investigative project on a story entitled “Russian mercenaries.” They were looking into a private security company operating in CAR that is linked to a businessman associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Officials in CER said the reporters were kidnapped by about 10 men wearing turbans and speaking only Arabic.

Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who has spent 10 years in jail in Russia now lives in exile in Europe.