News and press releases

VIENNA, 27 August 2018- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir and Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Bruce G. Berton strongly condemned the severe beating of journalist Vladimir Kovačević that took place in Banja Luka, BiH, on the evening of 26 August.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission saw fresh damage caused by small-arms fire to the administration office at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and Shchastia, as well as again in Zaichenko and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines near Zhelanne Druhe. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure near Pervomaisk and demining in Berezove. The SMM monitored gatherings on the occasion of National Flag Day and Ukrainian Independence Day in several locations, which took place without incidents.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. It heard at least 500 explosions assessed as both outgoing artillery rounds and impacts thereof 4-15km north-east of Kadiivka. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and it was again restricted in Zaichenko and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure in Luhansk region on both sides of the contact line, and of residential houses in Avdiivka. In Kherson, the SMM monitored an appeal court hearing on an acid attack case during which the court acquitted a suspect. In Kyiv, Lviv and Chernivtsi, the SMM monitored gatherings on the occasion of National Flag Day.

Belarusian education policymakers trained in integrating human rights into education system

From 9 to 24 August 2018, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe conducted three workshops aimed at enhancing communication between police and the general public and media. The workshops were held in Romit, Guliston and Nurek districts of Tajikistan.

Fifty seven teachers from vocational schools throughout Moldova successfully completed a training-of-trainers workshop on gender equality organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova. The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and the NGO “Gender-Centru” from 21 to 24 August, 2018 in Chisinau. The aim of the training was to improve the teachers’ skills in promoting gender equality and contribute to enlarging the pool of teachers able to challenge gender stereotypes and create a gender-sensitive educational environment.

VIENNA, 23 August – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called for the immediate release of Ukrainian journalist, writer and blogger Stanislav Aseev (Vasin), who appeared on a Russia-24 tv report on 17 August for the first time since the beginning of his detention.