News and press releases

The OSCE Mission to Moldova concluded its second training programme for state institutions dealing with the protection of the rights of national minorities and the consolidation of inter-ethnic relations in the country on 16 May 2019. The two-day course focused on the participation of national minorities in public life and built on the positive outcomes of last year’s induction course on human rights and national minorities, which was attended by the same group of participants...

VIENNA, 16 May 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, strongly condemned today the physical attacks against journalists that took place in Turkey over the past week...

On the morning of 15 May, an SMM patrol consisting of five members and two armoured vehicles was positioned on road H20 about 2km south-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) and about 3.5km north-west of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) to monitor the security situation...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Pervomaiske. The Mission saw fresh damage to civilian properties from small-arms fire and shelling in non-government-controlled Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Dokuchaievsk. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. Anti-tank mines were spotted by the Mission for the first time near Prychepylivka and Vodiane. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted at a non-government-controlled checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske in Donetsk region, as well as at a heavy weapon holding area in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region...

VIENNA, 15 May 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, published today a legal review of the Montenegrin Electronic Media Law, upon request by the Ministry of Culture...

The security needs of Jewish communities were the focus of an awareness raising event held in Chisinau on 15 May 2019. It was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Jewish Community of Moldova...

VIENNA, 15 May 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the restored access to multiple internet-based media in Uzbekistan, after more than ten years of intermittent blocking.