News and press releases

During her visit to Kosovo from 7 to 10 June 2016, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors focused on education, implementation of the framework of language rights and access to justice. The High Commissioner continues to urge for the adoption of the Strategy for the

VIENNA, 14 June 2016 – Criminal defamation provisions protecting heads of foreign states infringe on media’s right to report on issues of public interest, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today as she presented a set of recommendations on the issue...

The SMM observed overall fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region both on 11 and 12 June as compared to 10 June, although the level of violence remained high, in particular in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area. The SMM recorded a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Svitlodarsk and Horlivka on the night of 10 June. In Luhansk region, the SMM observed a similar number of ceasefire violations on the night of 10 June – compared to the previous night and fewer during the remainder of the reporting period – compared to 10 June. On both sides of the contact line, the Mission conducted crater analysis and observed damages to civilian houses caused by shelling. The SMM noted a newly-constructed “LPR” position north of the Siverskyi Donets river at Stadnytsia Luhansk bridge and a newly-constructed Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Maiorsk. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire, and facilitated the transportation of a patient at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge for medical care. In Kyiv, it monitored the “Equality march”, which passed off peacefully. Armed “DPR” members kept the power supply to SMM’s repeater in Donetsk city disconnected and the SMM faced one additional restriction on its freedom of movement, in a border area not controlled by the Government...

Human rights and fair trial standards, as reflected in recent decisions of the Armenian Cassation Court, the country’s highest judicial instance for all except constitutional matters, were the focus of an OSCE-supported training workshop held on June 11 and 12 in Dilijan, Armenia. The workshop aimed at promoting transparency and predictability of justice and a unified application of the law...

WARSAW, 13 June 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed shock and grief today following the tragic shooting yesterday in a gay club in Orlando, Florida that left 50 people dead and another 53 wounded...

VIENNA, 13 June 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today conveyed her concern about a new law in Russia which imposes excessive responsibility on Internet search engines and websites for aggregation and distribution of online information...

COPENHAGEN, 13 June 2016 – Pointing to a loss of trust between OSCE countries in recent years, the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly’s political affairs and security committee, Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden), has authored a report and draft resolution geared towards strengthening international dialogue and improving co-operation to meet common challenges facing the OSCE region. The resolution will be considered at the OSCE PA’s 25th Annual Session, being held in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 1 to 5 July...