Detentions are sabotaging international efforts to overcome the crisis, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office says

Bern, 28 May, 2014 - Didier Burkhalter, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Swiss Foreign Minister, said that the detention of monitors of the Special Monitoring Mission cannot be tolerated and was undermining the important work of the Mission which was agreed upon by the 57 participating States of the OSCE on March 21. The detentions were acts of sabotage of international efforts to assist Ukraine in overcoming the crisis, Burkhalter continued.

He called for the immediate and unconditional release of the monitors belonging to the Donestk team of the Special Monitoring Mission.

Burkhalter underlined the necessity of securing working conditions for the mandate of the Monitoring Mission to be implemented properly. The Special Monitoring Mission was constantly re-assessing and adjusting its security set-up in a shifting environment, he said.