News and press releases

In Donetsk region, the SMM noted a lower number of ceasefire violations compared with the previous day, with over 80 explosions recorded. In Luhansk region it noted a low level of violence with 16 explosions recorded. The Mission observed the presence of numerous weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal lines on 9 May military-style parades in Donetsk and Luhansk cities. The Mission observed 9 May commemorations across the country. Most of those events passed off peacefully with the strong presence of law enforcement, while in several occasions the SMM saw minor incidents of scuffles and altercations...

VIENNA, 10 May 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović condemned an attack on journalist Eduard Ilnica in Tirana Monday night, and called on the authorities in Albania to carry out a swift and thorough investigation into the incident...

Challenges and opportunities that an increasing diversity of religions and beliefs pose for public institutions, religious communities, and societies across the OSCE region were the focus of an event, hosted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Permanent Mission of Spain to the OSCE on 10 May 2016, in Vienna.

A workshop focusing on strengthening citizens’ participation in community-based efforts to reduce disaster risk and the impact of natural hazards was held on 6 May 2016 in Yerevan, Armenia. The event was organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, in co-operation with the Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform...

In Donetsk region, the SMM noted an increased number of ceasefire violations on both 7 and 8 May, compared to 6 May. In Luhansk region, it noted a low level of violence with less than 10 explosions recorded. The Mission observed the presence of hardware in violation of the respective withdrawal lines and continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM noted the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance. It continued to observe equally high numbers of civilians waiting to travel across the contact line, as before the weekend, and monitored the humanitarian situation of civilians affected by the conflict. The SMM visited one crossing point at the border in areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission monitored the situation of internally displaced persons in Kherson and observed a ceremony for “Reconciliation and Commemoration Day” in Lviv. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on ten occasions, all but one in areas not controlled by the Government...*

WARSAW, 9 May 2016 – Reacting to the reported execution in Belarus of Syarhey Iwanow and a 6 May Supreme Court ruling upholding the death sentence against Sergei Khmelevsky, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today again called on Belarus to introduce an immediate moratorium on executions, as a step towards complete abolition of the death penalty...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 9 May 2016 – A ten-day school of journalism organized by the OSCE Mission for around 20 young people from northern Kosovo started today in Mitrovica/Mitrovicё North...