News and press releases

VIENNA, 7 March 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today released a comparative study “Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region” which says criminal law remains an instrument to excessively limit media freedom...

VIENNA, 7 March 2017- Reacting on the closure of two crossing points along the Administrative Boundary Line of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, Nabakevi-Khurcha and Meore Otobaia-Orsantia, which reduces the number of crossing points to two, following the closure of two others in 2016, a spokesperson of the OSCE Chairmanship said today:...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 3 and 4 March compared with the previous reporting period, and fewer ceasefire violations between the evenings of 4 and 5 March compared with the previous 24-hour period. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations between the evenings of 3 and 4 March compared with the previous reporting period, and fewer ceasefire violations the evenings of 4 and 5 March compared with the previous 24-hour period. It observed damage from shelling in Avdiivka, Popasna, Dachne, Oleksandrivka, Dokuchaievsk, Loskutivka, and Pikuzy. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.* It recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission, in co-ordination with the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), facilitated and monitored demining activities in areas of the Donetsk Water Filtration station. The Mission monitored the blockade of routes crossing the contact line in three locations. The SMM visited one border area currently not under the government control in Sievernyi, and armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding to another border area currently not under the government control in Leonove...

The Kyrgyz Association of Women in the Security Sector (KAWSS) was established on 2 March 2017 in Bishkek at a founding conference organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police (KAWP), the Presidential Administration, the Parliament, the Defence Council, the Supreme Court, the Government, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Interior Ministry and all state security-providing structures. The aim of the Association is to increase the role of women in the security sector governance field. The conference brought together around 100 delegates representing the above-mentioned national stakeholders, civil society and international organizations...

VIENNA/WARSAW, 6 March 2017 – Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today condemned the sentencing of Azerbaijani blogger and chair of the media NGO Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety Mehman Huseynov and called on authorities to release him...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on a civilian casualty in Zolote-4 and observed damage from gunfire and shelling in Kalynove, Donetskyi and Avdiivka (at a site where an SMM camera is positioned). The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.* It recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area...

At 11:15 on 3 March, positioned south-west of  “DPR”-controlled Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, 33km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM observed what it assessed to be two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and one command vehicle moving from south to north and turning east at locations 2-3km east from SMM’s position. The SMM moved further south-east, and at 11:50 reached a location about 500m east of the spot where it had assessed the weapons could be located...