News and press releases

VIENNA, 19 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about the intimidation of journalist Nikolay Semena in Crimea, Ukraine...

The SMM recorded a lower level of violence in Donetsk region over the weekend. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to register ceasefire violations in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska in the evening hours and registered similar numbers of explosions compared to the night of 15 April. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in areas near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored four areas and was denied access to one area on the border still outside government control. Both sides restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement*. The SMM saw a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint had been moved 3km closer to a “DPR” position...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations compared to the previous day. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in an area near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored two border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Odessa...

SMM observed a marked increase in violence during this reporting period with over 4,000 ceasefire violations through the Donetsk region, 500 of which were explosions. The major hotspots of Avdiivka/Yasynuvata accounted for more than half of these ceasefire violations. In Luhansk the Mission noted fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission observed long queues of civilians and vehicles waiting to cross at checkpoints. The SMM encountered a restriction of its freedom of movement in an area not controlled by the Government...

VIENNA, 15 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about the decision in Germany to prosecute a satirist who derided the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan...

KYIV, 15 April 2016 – Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), expressed today his dismay at a sharp increase in fighting in the east of the country. On 14 April the number of ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM exceeded 4,000, with over 500 of them being explosions. The most acute deterioration was seen in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area in the Donetsk region, with high numbers of explosions caused by proscribed weapons...

VIENNA, 15 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović expressed concern today about the state of Internet freedom in Turkey, following the blocking of the Russian news agency Sputnik’s website in the country...