African killed in 'racist' crime

The murder of an African medical student in central Russia was a racist crime, a prosecutor has said.

Chief regional prosecutor Alexander Ponomaryov made the remarks on Russian NTV television.

Officials had said the stabbing of Amaru Antonio Lima, 24, from Guinea-Bissau, in Voronezh was caused by a personal conflict over a woman.

The murder, on 21 February, sparked protests by hundreds of foreign students in the city.

They have blamed the authorities for failing to investigate killings of seven foreign students in racial attacks in the past five years.

Mr Ponomaryov said on NTV that two of the three arrested suspects in the case had already confessed.

Russian news agency Itar-Tass also quoted Mr Ponomaryov as saying his office had taken up several previous cases of attacks on foreigners in the region, saying they had been closed without reason.