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The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova, identified only by her initials, was found in a park in Ruse on Saturday, according to prosecutors in the Balkan country.

Interior Minister, Mladen Marinov, said: ”It is about rape and murder.”

At the time of her death, the journalist had been involved in covering an investigation by a group of Bulgarian journalists into companies involved in EU-funded infrastructure projects administered by local authorities, according to local reports.

But Mr Marinov said there was no evidence to suggest the murder was related to Ms Marinova's work and there was no information that she had been threatened.