News and press releases

VIENNA, 7 October 2018 – On the 12th anniversary of the killing of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, recalled the need to guarantee journalists’ safety, and insisted that the Russian authorities intensify their efforts to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on a casualty as a result of an explosion in Kadiivka. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko and Yuzhna Lomuvatka. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and maintenance of critical water and electrical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage to civilian properties caused by shelling and gunfire in Chermalyk. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and near the Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko and near Izvaryne and Sievernyi, near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and maintenance of critical water and electrical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored the security situation in and around the Parliament building during proceedings in relation to legislation concerning local governance of areas outside of government control in Donetsk and Luhansk regions...

BISHKEK, 5 October 2018 – Enhancing security dialogue in Central Asia, countering new challenges and threats in border areas, promoting Mediterranean co-operation and strengthening citizens’ engagement in building secure societies have been among the topics of debate at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 17th Autumn Meeting in Bishkek this week...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Raivka, the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station, as well as to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit...

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concern today about a decision by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, that calls for sanctions against two Ukrainian television channels, which would eventually terminate their activities...

Practical measures that can advance parliamentary openness were discussed during an event co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4 October 2018 in Bishkek, on the margins of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Autumn Meeting. The event, organized in