News and press releases

The OSCE, together with other international organizations, continues to undertake preventative measures against the COVID-19 outbreak, in line with guidance from the authorities of host countries...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

VIENNA, 17 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious concerns today at the ongoing prosecution of Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia, after the regional prosecutor in Pskov signed, on 13 March, her indictment with grave charges of “publicly justifying terrorism” and submitted it to the Regional Military Court in Moscow. Prokopyeva, a journalist with Radio Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) in Pskov, is a contributor to various other media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service.

WARSAW, 17 March 2020 – Election observation activities of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) are being temporarily limited in some places, as countries around the OSCE region restrict cross-border travel in response to increased health risks...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 13 and 14 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. Between the evenings of 14 and 15 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk

TIRANA / BRUSSELS / GENEVA, 16 March 2020- After carefully reviewing circumstances related to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), UN Representative Cihan Sultanoglu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Rudolf Michalka, and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, have today decided to postpone the 51st GID round, which was due to take place on 31 March-1 April 2020.

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM saw a civilian car in government-controlled Marinka that was damaged from gunfire. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia