News and press releases

VIENNA, 31 October 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the arrest of the editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, Murat Sabuncu, and three of its columnists, Güray Öz, Aydın Engin and Kadri Gürsel, the latter is also a member of the board of the International Press Institute...

Ways to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in public life and political affairs were discussed at a conference co-organized in Helsinki on 31 October 2016 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Finland’s Ministry for Foreign

CHISINAU, 31 October 2016 – The first round of Moldova’s first direct presidential election in 20 years provided ample opportunity for voters to express their preference for a new head of state. Fundamental freedoms were respected. The campaign was competitive, though marred by widespread abuse of state resources, biased media coverage and a lack of transparency in campaign finance, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. The election administration worked in a professional and transparent manner, and voting and counting were largely assessed positively by the observers...

ASTANA, 31 October 2016 – An OSCE-supported three-day training seminar for police officers on best practices in managing public assemblies began today in Astana...

KYIV, 31 October 2016 – A first draft Concept on Democratic Control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was tabled for public discussion at an international workshop organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine jointly with the country’s Defence Ministry and Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) today in Kyiv...

TBILISI, 31 October 2016 – The 30 October parliamentary run-offs in Georgia were competitive and administered in a manner that respected the rights of candidates and voters, and voting on election day was assessed positively, although issues remain related to lacking a legal framework for second round elections and complaints related to first round results, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, mostly in areas around Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport and Svitlodarsk. In Luhansk region, the SMM also recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period.