News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and in Luhansk region compared with the period between the evenings of 3 and 4 December. It continued to face restrictions of its movement in the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on four occasions elsewhere. The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian infrastructure. The Mission continued to note queues at entry-exit checkpoints on both sides of the contact line. The SMM monitored one border crossing area not controlled by the Government. It facilitated and monitored repair works in Krasnyi Lyman and Orikhove...

HAMBURG, Germany, 6 December – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the authorities in Turkmenistan to release journalist Azatlyk Khudayberdy Allashov, who works for the Turkmen Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)...

HAMBURG, Germany, 6 December 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed a swift decision by Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reinstate accreditation to six Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondents in the country.юю

BIHAĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6 December 2016 – The engagement of young people in creating more a tolerant environment and becoming empowered to counter violent extremist views among their peers has been emphasized as a priority at a two-day Youth Summit, that concluded today in Bihać...

The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Ministry of Defence held a ceremony on 6 December 2016, marking the completion of a joint project to destroy hazardous military chemicals. The Head of Presence, Ambassador Bernd Borchardt, Defence Minister Mimi Kodheli and representatives of OSCE participating States that have funded the project attended the event that took place at the Port of Durrës...

The OSCE Presence in Albania, on 6 December 2016 in Tirana, concluded a series of events held throughout the year with Albanian judges and prosecutors with the aim of raising their awareness on alternatives to custody as a part of a project by the OSCE Presence to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders...

Civil society and community groups dedicated to countering intolerance against Muslims strengthened their ability to monitor and report hate incidents during a workshop organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 5 and 6 December 2016 in Warsaw. Bringing