News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
ODIHR Director calls on Kyrgyzstan to free human rights defender Azimjan Askarov
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
WARSAW, 22 April 2016 Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), welcomed the UN Human Rights Committee’s decision yesterday on human rights defender Azimjan Askarov’s complaint, calling on Kyrgyzstan to release Askarov and overturn his sentence...
Spot Report by the Observer Mission at the Russian checkpoints of Gukovo and Donetsk: Fiftieth Russian convoy of 43 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk border crossing point
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
On 21 April 2016 at 07:29hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 43 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services. All of the 43 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:18hrs on 21 April...
OSCE Representative calls on authorities in Ukraine to refrain from restrictive laws limiting free media and free flow of information
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
VIENNA, 22 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that recent legislative steps in Ukraine could limit the free flow of information...
OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth summits challenge stereotypes and promote tolerance to counter violent extremism
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
SARAJEVO, 22 April 2016 – Some 100 high school students, pedagogues and psychologists from across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) took part in two youth summits in Teslić and Vogosća this week co-hosted by the OSCE Mission to BiH and the BiH Security Ministry, with the aim of developing school-supported activities to counter and prevent violent extremism from taking ground in educational environments...
OSCE/ODIHR final report on Slovakia’s parliamentary elections recommends reviewing limitations on right to stand and introducing provisions prohibiting misuse of administrative resources
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 5 March 2016 parliamentary elections in Slovakia notes that the legal framework was amended, resulting in a number of improvements. It recommends, however, that limitations on the right to stand for election should be reviewed and that citizens should be allowed to run as independent candidates to ensure full compliance with OSCE commitments. The report recommends introducing provisions prohibiting the misuse of administrative resources.
OSCE Office in Tajikistan concludes workshop on radiation safety
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
DUSHANBE, 22 April 2016 – Twenty-five officers from the Interior Ministry, State Committee on National Security, Customs Service, Border Troops, Committee on Emergency Situation and the Agency on Radiation safety of Tajikistan completed in Dushanbe today a week-long workshop on radiation safety awareness. The event was organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 20 April 2016
Publishing date: 22 April 2016
The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region, fewer ceasefire violations were recorded in comparison to the previous day. The Mission noted a significant number of weapons in Luhansk city, in violation of withdrawal lines, while other weapons were missing from holding areas. It analysed craters in an area close to the contact line. The SMM spoke to the head of the Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk) regional administration regarding the presence of unmarked graves...