News and press releases

VIENNA, 26 January 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today, in a letter to Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, called on the Russian Parliament not to adopt the draft law that through amendments to the “Statute on the Mass Media” extends the status of a "foreign agent" to individuals...

VIENNA, 25 January 2018 –The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today condemned recent attacks against Turkish Cypriot newspaper Afrika’s Office in Nicosia.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period and one ceasefire violation in Luhansk region (as in the previous reporting period). The Mission continued to follow up on reports of civilian casualties in Olenivka and followed up on new reports of civilian casualties in Dokuchaievsk and of civilians injured from mishandling of unexploded ordnance in Donetsk city and Verkhnotoretske. In Dokuchaievsk, the SMM also saw damage caused by gunfire to a residential building. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, where it observed calm situations. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere.* The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure in Krasnyi Lyman. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control.

VIENNA, 25 January 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding the case of Uzbek journalist Khudoberdi Nurmatov, also known under his penname Ali Feruz, a contributing journalist to Novaya Gazeta.

VIENNA, 25 January 2018 – In his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council, OSCE President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) today called on the Organization’s participating States to ensure the effective functioning of the OSCE, noting it is one of the leanest and most flexible organizations in the world.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, where it observed calm situations. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure in Krasnyi Lyman...

MINSK, 24 January 2018 – Concluding three days of meetings in Belarus, Kent Harstedt (MP, Sweden), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Eastern Europe, called for increased efforts on reforms within the country while welcoming the active engagement of the country in international affairs and mediation...