OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Secretary General strongly urge immediate release of OSCE officials detained for over 500 days in Donetsk and Luhansk

SKOPJE/VIENNA, 12 September 2023 – The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, and Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid reinforced their repeated calls for the immediate release of three Ukrainian OSCE officials that have been in detention in Donetsk and Luhansk for more than 500 days.

“OSCE officials should never be arrested or detained because of the work they do in carrying out their mandate. These detentions are an inhumane act and a blatant violation of their rights,” said Chairman-in-Office Osmani.

“Our message to those responsible is clear – the detained must be freed immediately and unconditionally,” he underscored.

“It has been over 500 days of terrible suffering – first and foremost for our detained Ukrainian officials, but also for their families and loved ones. This must stop now. Every day that passes is another day too long,” said Secretary General Schmid.

“We are sparing no effort and will continue to use every channel and every opportunity to secure their release until our colleagues are free,” she stressed.

Background information

Three OSCE officials – Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov – were detained in April 2022 in Donetsk and Luhansk where they had been performing their official duties – as mandated by all 57 participating States.

In September 2022, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov were “sentenced” to 13 years in prison as a result of so-called “legal proceedings”.

In addition to the continued efforts of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Osmani and OSCE Secretary General Schmid, both publicly and in private, the OSCE remains in close contact with relevant stakeholders, including other international organizations, to facilitate the release of detained OSCE officials.