News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 2 and 3 March compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 3 and 4 March compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage to a civilian property in a residential area in Pikuzy. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Izvaryne near the border with the Russian Federation and in Staromarivka. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema and to a water pipe system in Novotoshkivske. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM observed the tents on Hrushevskoho Street being dismantled and monitored a gathering...

Discussions about the OSCE’s support for Turkmenistan’s ongoing efforts to promote gender equality were the focus of meetings held during the visit of the OSCE’s Senior Gender Adviser, Amarsanaa Darisuren, to Ashgabat from 28 February to 2 March 2018.

ROME, 5 March 2018 – The 4 March parliamentary elections in Italy were a vibrant display of competitive democracy in which voters could readily inform themselves about their political options and could freely cast their ballots, concluded international observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today following their first-ever election observation mission in the country. The elections offered voters a multitude of parties to choose from, and benefitted from extensive media coverage, with diverse and critical analysis of many aspects of the campaigns. In a welcome effort, concerns about ‘fake news’ were taken seriously by authorities and media companies during the campaign. On election day, time-consuming procedures resulted in some delays and long queues for voters...

A five-day training course for some 30 Tajik customs officers from all over the country on the detection of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials at border checkpoints concluded on 2 March 2018 in Dushanbe.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including, again, at three areas near the border with the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, as well as near Patriotychne.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair works to a water pumping station in Artema and to water wells in Krasnyi Lyman. In Kharkiv, the SMM followed up on reports of an exchange of border guard officers between Ukraine and the Russian Federation....

KYIV, 2 March 2018- Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, today welcomed the recommitment to the ceasefire made by the Trilateral Contact Group and other signatories of the Minsk agreements.

MINSK, 2 March 2018 – The Trilateral Contact Group and the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions today issued the following statement calling for a ceasefire:

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with more explosions in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by shelling to civilian residences in Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted in Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote and elsewhere, including, once again, at a border area with the Russian Federation in Luhansk region.* In areas outside of government control, the SMM observed heavy weapons as missing from permanent storage sites. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Uzhhorod, the Mission continued to follow up on reports of an explosion at the building where the office of the Zakarpattia Hungarian Union is located. The SMM observed a vandalized monument in Kherson. The SMM observed a gathering near the Parliament building in Kyiv...

Strengthening the ability of civil society to identify and report hate crimes, and to better support the victims of these crimes, was at the centre of two training workshops organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) this week in Bishkek and Almaty. The

The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 28 October 2017 early parliamentary elections in Iceland recommends measures to ensure greater legal certainty and coherence in areas such as candidate registration and voting procedures, as well as to

BRATISLAVA, 2 March 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today welcomed the news that journalist Yusuf Ruzimurodov, who has spent 19 years in jail, has been released.

BRATISLAVA, 2 March 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, travelled today to Bratislava to meet with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico as well as with Slovak journalists and to pay tribute to the murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée.

Enhancing the knowledge and skills of criminal justice practitioners from South-Eastern Europe in live data forensics was the focus of a one-week training course hosted by the OSCE from 26 February to 2 March 2018 at the Albanian Security Academy in Tirana.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling to and near civilian properties in Slovianoserbsk and Molodizhne. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, again, at three crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in Luhansk region.*

ERGNETI, 1 March 2018-The discussions under the 85th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting started in Ergneti on 1 March 2018.

OTTAWA, 1 March 2018- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir yesterday concluded a visit to Canada in which he held meetings on the state of freedom of expression and media freedom in the country with a broad range of state officials. He also participated in an international conference on Internet jurisdiction in Ottawa...

An OSCE-supported regional seminar on risk profiling for officers of border service educational institutions from Central Asian states concluded on 1 March 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

The current trends and challenges in pre-trial proceedings on criminal cases was the focus of a two-day OSCE-supported annual roundtable discussion that began in Ak-Bulak near Almaty, Kazakhstan on 1 March 2018...

The OSCE Gender Section delivered a two-day training course on advancing gender equality through the establishment of mentor networks for women in Minsk.

The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 28 February 2018

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including more explosions, and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling, including to civilian properties and essential infrastructure, in Zaitseve and Zolote-5. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Siedove close to the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair works and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Zolote and Berezove and in Olenivka.

The final event of a training programme designed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to improve co-operation between police officers and prosecutors in addressing hate crimes in Bulgaria was held on 27 and 28 February 2018 in Plovdiv. The training course,

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 28 February 2018 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centre (RS JPTC) co-organized a training course for judges and prosecutors, which concluded today in Banja Luka. The training focused on differentiating between the crime of human trafficking and similar crimes, such as incitement of a child to prostitution...

Hate crime against migrants was the focus of an expert roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 27 and 28 February 2018 in London. Forty-seven participants, 26 women and 21 men, from 14 OSCE participating States included representatives

OTTAWA, 28 February 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, yesterday shared a legal review with the Turkish authorities on elements of a bill that, if adopted, could restrict online broadcasting and further limit media pluralism in the country.

Kyiv, 27 February 2018 – High-level government representatives from Ukraine, along with representatives of NGOs and of the international donor community met today in Kyiv to present annual achievements in combating trafficking in human beings and to set the strategies for the upcoming year.

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 decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week. On 22 February 2018 the seventy-second Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned back into the Russian Federation...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. Small arms were fired towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by weapons, including to civilian property, in Pidlisne and Trokhizbenka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed calm situations. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including again at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and at a border crossing point at the border with the Russian Federation in an area not under government control in Luhansk region, where the SMM has been restricted constantly since 15 February.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to a water pumping station near Artema and to a water pipeline between Zolote and Popasna. The SMM monitored a religious procession in Zaporizhzhia and a gathering in Kyiv, which marked the fourth anniversary of the events in Crimea...

BELGRADE, 27 February 2018 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Angelino Alfano visited today in Belgrade the OSCE Mission to Serbia and discussed with the Head of Mission, Andrea Orizio, and his staff their ongoing work...

OTTAWA, 27 February 2018- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed concern about a recent court decision in Cyprus prohibiting the daily Politis from publishing documents regarding the state attorney and the questioning by the police of several journalists of the daily newspapers Politis and Phileleftheros...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region between the evenings of 23 and 24 February, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 24 and 25 February, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM heard explosions from its forward patrol base in Popasna. The Mission followed up on reports of damage caused by weapons in Yasynuvata, Pidlisne and Molodizhne. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations inside Zolote disengagement area.

COPENHAGEN, 26 February 2017 – Following the recent reported death of Archil Tatunashvili in South Ossetia, Georgia, OSCE PA human rights chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor stressed the need for close cooperation and a transparent investigation into the events leading to the death. Sanchez Amor expressed his sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Tatunashvili...

VIENNA, BRUSSELS, GENEVA, 26 February 2018- The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions have taken note with strong concern of reports of the death in custody in Tskhinvali on 22 February of Mr Archil Tatunashvili, and express their condolences to the family of the deceased. They also note that, according to reports, a post-mortem examination has already taken place, and therefore call on the authorities in control in Tskhinvali to hand over the body of Mr Tatunashvili to his family without delay.

OTTAWA, 26 February 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his shock and condemnation following the murder of investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancé in their home in Slovakia, and urged the authorities to pursue a full, transparent and swift investigation.

A bilateral meeting between the Secretary Generals of the Parliament of Montenegro and the Albanian Assembly, supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, took place on 23 February in Podgorica.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by weapons to civilian properties in Dovhe and Holmivskyi. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, once again, near Kreminets.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission facilitated the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Molodizhne. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to a water pumping station in Artema and to a water pipe system in Novotoshkivske, and it heard that the latter was completed. The Mission visited a border area outside government control. The SMM monitored gatherings in Odessa and Dnipro.

In the evening of 23 February, while at its forward patrol base on the northern edge of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard continuous ceasefire violations, the majority of which were 3-4km south-east. At around 21:14, the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as outgoing 120mm mortar rounds about 500m north.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by weapons to civilian properties in Dovhe and Molodizhne. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and while present in Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, it observed a calm situation. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, as in previous days, at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and at three other crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in areas outside government control (out of six visited by the SMM).* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kostiantynivka and Klynove. The SMM observed convoys of trucks labelled “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation” in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Pavlopil and Novotoshkivske. In non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, the mission noted disruptions in some mobile communications networks. The SMM monitored gatherings in Kherson on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the events at Maidan and in Kharkiv on the third anniversary of the bombing of a pro-Maidan march.

The final report on the 21 October and 12 November 2017 local elections in Georgia issued by observers of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recommends steps to improve the electoral legislation and strengthen guarantees of voter and candidate rights. The report,

A team from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Skopje from 21 to 23 February 2018 to present the final report of its election observation mission for the 15 October municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The report’s findings and

A team of experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) was in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 19 to 23 February 2018 to provide assistance to the Central Election Commission in following up on ODIHR electoral recommendations. The expertise provided related to the

Ahead of the busy election year with presidential and a number of local elections in the spring, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro is providing technical assistance to the country’s State Election Commission (SEC) and Municipal Election Commissions (MEC) to support the development of an Election Operational Plan- an essential tool in managing the upcoming presidential election, which is scheduled for 15 April 2018.

A five-day OSCE-supported training seminar on the detection of forged travel documents and identification techniques for 26 border guards concluded in Shymkent, Kazakhstan on 23 February 2018...

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Paris on 21 and 22 February 2018 to present the recommendations from ODIHR’s final report on the 2017 presidential election in France. The report’s findings and

VIENNA, 22 February 2018 – Representatives of Russian and Ukrainian journalists’ unions today met under the auspices of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, for the 17th roundtable discussion aiming to facilitate dialogue between the media workers of the two countries.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were again fired near an SMM patrol and towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Kostiantynivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and, as has been the case in previous days, at three crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in areas outside government control out of five visited by the SMM.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zoria. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Berezove, Orlivske, Artema, Novotoshkivske and Yashchykove. The SMM monitored gatherings in Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan...

On 22 February 2018 at 06:47 (Moscow time), the seventy-second Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 16 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:23 on 22 February...

A two-day workshop on how to establish an Advance Passenger Information (API) system for preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and enhancing aviation security concluded on 22 February 2018 in Prishtinë/Priština. Representatives from all Kosovo agencies involved in passenger processing – 45 in total – as well as police and customs officials and members of the civil aviation authority, the Data Protection Agency and the Internal Affairs Ministry took part...

Transparency International published the results of its Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 on 22 February 2018, ranking Albania the 91st among 180 countries and territories included in the index, a drop of eight places since 2016. Albania scored 38 out of 100 points...

CHISINAU, 22 February 2018 – Alfredo Conte, Adviser to the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, concluded a three-day visit to Moldova today. He met with the leadership in Chisinau and Tiraspol, the authorities in the Autonomous Territorial Unit (ATU) of Gagauzia and the resident Ambassadors of the 5+2 Mediators and Observers. His meetings set the stage for an upcoming visit to Moldova by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Franco Frattini.