OSCE PA Presidential statement on situation in Ukraine President urges restraint and respect for freedom of assembly, expresses "deep concern" over violence and attacks against journalists

COPENHAGEN, 3 December 2013 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic today issued the following statement regarding the situation in Ukraine, which is scheduled to host a meeting of the Bureau of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on 4-6 December in Kyiv:

"The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is deeply concerned by the violence that occurred over the weekend in Ukraine, in which protesters, police, and journalists were injured. We urge both protesters and the authorities to exercise restraint and avoid provocation. We further urge dialogue to help defuse tensions.

"As a participating state in the OSCE, Ukraine has committed itself to protect its citizens' right to assemble and protest peacefully. The world will be watching Ukraine to make sure those rights are safeguarded in the days ahead.

"I am alarmed at reports that several dozen journalists were attacked and injured during the weekend's clashes. The government of Ukraine must live up to its OSCE commitments to provide for the safety of journalists, even during the chaos of protest. The government further has a responsibility to fully investigate those attacks and send a clear signal that such behavior has no place in Ukraine," Krivokapic said.

This is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international cooperation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.