News and press releases

The factors that make people belonging to minorities more vulnerable to human trafficking and ensuring respect for the rights of victims were discussed at the launch of a new joint publication by the OSCE’s Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 11 September 2024.

WARSAW, 22 July 2024 – In recent months, the intensified large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities have resulted in an increasing number of civilian casualties and severe damage to civilian infrastructure, while evidence is growing of widespread and systematic torture of detained civilians and prisoners of war in Russian-controlled areas, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in its latest report on violations of international law following Russia’s military attack in Ukraine.

WARSAW, 3 July 2024 – This week’s verdicts by a Minsk court sentencing 20 Belarusian experts and analysts in absentia to over a decade in prison for peaceful activities in support of the political opposition are a clear violation of free speech and the right to a fair trial, and should be revoked, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

WARSAW, 20 June 2024 – As the number of forcibly displaced people in the OSCE area reaches a record high, the proliferation of new border technologies is likely to have a profound impact on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of refugees across the region, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on the occasion of World Refugee Day.

TBILISI, 23 May 2024 – During a visit to Georgia today, Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), highlighted his deep concern about the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” and stressed ODIHR’s readiness to support Georgia in providing legislative assistance and expertise.

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism mission of experts undertaken by Professor Veronika Bílková, Dr. Cecilie Hellestveit and Dr. Elīna Šteinerte presented their findings to the OSCE Permanent Council on 25 April 2024, collected in the report entitled ‘Report on Violations and Abuses of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, related to the Arbitrary Deprivation of Liberty of Ukrainian Civilians by the Russian Federation’.

VIENNA, 22 April 2024 – While civil society organizations play a crucial role in monitoring and ensuring accountability for violations of international law in times of crisis, it is becoming increasingly difficult in many places for them to carry out their work effectively or safely, OSCE leaders said as a two-day conference began today.