News and press releases

The sixth Human Rights Club of the year was organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 26 October 2017. The meeting provided legal professionals from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River with an opportunity to discuss how to differentiate between an act of discrimination and a hate crime when identifying the law that has been violated in a given case.

On 26 October 2017 at 06:55 (Moscow time), the sixty-eighth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 17 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 17 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:18 on 26 October.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Verkhnoshyrokivske. In Verkhnoshyrokivske, men in military-style clothing pointed a heavy machine-gun at an SMM patrol stopped at a checkpoint. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Miusynsk and Luhansk city. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the thermal power plant in Shchastia, water pipelines near Maiorsk and in Horlivka, and the gas distribution station in Dovhe. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored the ongoing gathering in front of the national Parliament building.

Participants in two training courses organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Almaty, Kazakhstan, gained a deeper understanding this week of how to advance freedom of religion or belief for all while ensuring security. Eleven state officials took part in the

An expert roundtable meeting on good practices in migrant integration at the local level in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards took place in Warsaw on 26 October 2017. The event, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), brought

An SMM patrol comprising two armoured vehicles and six members were stopped by armed men at a checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol) at 09:57.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a man in Donetsk city injured by the explosion of an explosive device while handling it. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Khrustalnyi. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Kostiantynivka and Tsukuryne. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the thermal power plant in Shchastia, a water pumping station near Artema and a water pipeline between Olenivka and Dokuchaievsk. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored the security situation at a court and an ongoing gathering in front of the national Parliament building.

ROME, 25 October 2017 – Senior members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are in Italy this week exploring challenges, exchanging experiences and assessing strategies related to developing a comprehensive response to large movements of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean.

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 increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

VIENNA, 25 October 2017 –The physical attacks by riot police officers on three journalists who were covering protests in and outside a court house in Kyiv yesterday, were condemned by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir.

From 23 to 25 October, representatives of key Moldovan government authorities participated in an OSCE-organized study visit to Brussels to learn from representatives of Belgian institutions how they address irregular migration and labour cases that can become human trafficking.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek handed over video surveillance equipment to the National Guard of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan to enhance the security of the country’s strategic energy facilities, the Tash-Kumyr and Kurpsai hydroelectric power stations on 20 October 2017 in Bishkek. The stations are part of Kyrgyzstan’s largest Naryn hydropower plant cascade...

ROME, 24 October 2017 – Co-operation in migration management is the focus of the annual OSCE Mediterranean Conference taking place on 24 and 25 October in Palermo, Italy...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. In the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district, the SMM heard small-arms fire near the area where it was flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), assessed as aimed at the UAV.* The Mission saw damage to an office building in Lutuhyne. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to essential infrastructure near Svitlodarsk, Shchastia, Krasnyi Lyman and Artema. The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. The Mission continued to monitor a gathering in front of the national Parliament building in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. In the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district, the SMM heard small-arms fire near the area where it was flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), assessed as aimed at the UAV.* The Mission saw damage to an office building in Lutuhyne. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to essential infrastructure near Svitlodarsk, Shchastia, Krasnyi Lyman and Artema. The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. The Mission continued to monitor a gathering in front of the national Parliament building in Kyiv.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek supported a four-day training workshop aimed at enhancing young journalists’ skills in covering security and human rights-related topics, which concluded on 22 October 2017 in the village of Kosh-Kol in the Issyk-Kul province of Kyrgyzstan.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 20 and 21 October compared with the previous reporting period and more between the evenings of 21 and 22 October compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations between the evenings of 20 and 21 October compared with the previous reporting period and fewer between the evenings of 21 and 22 October compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Yenakiieve and Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district. The SMM saw damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Dokuchaievsk and Kruta Hora. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations and visited impact sites inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Siedove, a settlement close to the border with the Russian Federation, and in a compound of a heavy weapons holding area in an area outside of government control. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to essential infrastructure near Vesela Hora. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control...

PALERMO, Italy, 23 October 2017 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir condemned the attack today on Tatyana Felgenhauer, Deputy Editor and presenter at Echo Moskvy radio station.

PALERMO, 23 October 2017 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir is concerned about the recent amendment to the Law on the Organization and Functioning of the AGERPRES National News Agency, which was passed on 11 October 2017 by the Senate of Romania. Today, he wrote to the Foreign Minister of Romania, Teodor Melescanu, to this effect.

An OSCE-organized workshop on National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment (NRA) started today in Tashkent.

Legal experts from across the country joined an OSCE-supported public debate in Skopje on 20 October 2017 to comment on the draft amendments to the law on anti-discrimination.

An international roundtable discussion on modern technologies for domestic solid waste management and its investment potential was organized on 23 October 2017 by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan together with Uzbekistan’s parliament, the Oliy Majlis, and the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan.

Twenty-five officers from the Tajik Border Troops, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Customs Service and the Drug Control Agency completed a one-week workshop on working with the media on 20 October 2017 in Dushanbe. The workshop was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

TBILISI, 22 October 2017 – Fundamental freedoms were generally respected in the 21 October local elections in Georgia, and candidates were able to campaign freely. Efficient administration of the elections and accurate voter registration contributed to the quality of the process, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. The entire context of the elections was shaped by the dominance of the ruling party, the observers said.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas. The Mission observed that three civilians were let through the government checkpoint north of the Zolote disengagement area but were denied passage to areas not under government control. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including again in Samiilove, a settlement close to the border with the Russian Federation, and in Boikivske.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to essential infrastructure in Shchastia and near Artema. The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. The Mission continued to monitor an ongoing gathering in Kyiv where it observed reduced numbers of participants.

Developing the technical skills to design a high-impact national action plan to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was the topic of the National Action Plan (NAP) Academy which ended on 20 October 2017 in Vienna. The workshop was organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Gender Section and the Washington-based organization Inclusive Security.

KYIV, 20 October 2017 – The safety of journalists and putting an end to impunity for crimes committed against them must be adequately addressed to maintain a favourable environment for freedom of the media in Ukraine, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today, during his visit to Kyiv.

THE HAGUE, 20 October 2017 – In a visit to The Hague, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) held meetings today at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Senate of The Netherlands and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM)...

The results of Moldova’s National Risk Assessment (NRA) of money laundering and terrorist financing and an Action Plan addressing how to mitigate these risks were presented by the country’s Money Laundering Prevention Unit on 20 October 2017 in Chisinau, at an event organized by the OSCE, the World Bank and the European Union. The event brought together representatives from the public and private sector to discuss how to address gaps in legislation and enforcement...

RABAT, 20 October 2017 – A delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is concluding a two-day visit to Morocco today, having met with religious leaders, participated in a seminar on countering violent extremism in the OSCE region, and held a series of meetings with parliamentary and government leaders in the Moroccan capital...

Vienna, 20 October 2017 – In times of interconnected challenges to security, such as emergency situations, violent extremism or large movements of people fleeing conflict, the fight to end human trafficking requires a flexible, creative and system-wide approach involving governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations, stressed participants at today’s conference on Human Trafficking in Conflict and Crisis Situations.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded an increase in ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period, mostly north-west of Kadiivka. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas. The Mission observed anti-tank mines inside the Zolote disengagement area where it had recently facilitated and monitored demining activities as part of preparatory work to clear the road and possibly open a new entry-exit checkpoint. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the Donetsk Filtration Station and power lines in Druzhba. The Mission continued to monitor an ongoing gathering in Kyiv...

A specialized training course on trial advocacy in war crimes cases, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in co-operation with the BiH Ministry of Justice Criminal Defence Section and the entity Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centres, concluded on 20 October 2017 in Sarajevo...

Strengthening protection and preparedness against terrorist attacks aimed at critical energy infrastructure was the focus of a risk-assessment and crisis management exercise in Belgrade on 19 and 20 October 2017, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia...

TASHKENT, 19 October 2017 – The authorities in Central Asia must release all journalists interned in the region, said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir in his opening remarks at the 19th Central Asia Media Conference, “Open Journalism in Central Asia”, which concluded in Tashkent today...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties from the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district, Amvrosiivka and Zalizne. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas.* The Mission observed a probable mortar and a probable surface-to-air missile system in violation of withdrawal lines in an area under government control near Hranitne. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to power lines in Druzhba and the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission visited a border area not under government control. The SMM monitored gatherings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa...

A two-day training workshop on good practices in the integration of migrants at the local level in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards took place in Dublin on 18 and 19 October 2017. The event, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

VIENNA, 19 October 2017 – In a consensus decision today by the OSCE Permanent Council, the 57 participating States agreed to extend the mandate of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk by three months to 31 January 2018...

On the occasion of the European Union’s Anti-Trafficking Day on 18 October 2017, a two-day training course concluded on 19 October for over 20 judges and prosecutors on the role and use of information technology in trafficking in human beings. The course, held in Konjic, was organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Centres for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training in the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska, and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)...

VIENNA, 19 October 2017 – Speaking at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) stressed the importance of strengthening dialogue and co-operation between OSCE parliamentarians and the OSCE’s governmental representatives. She urged all OSCE institutions to work closely together and share their strengths in order to meet current challenges...

MINSK, 19 October 2017 – 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 18 October 2017...

From 18 to 20 October 2017 the OSCE Mission to Moldova together with the Ribnita-based NGO Vialex organized a training workshop for a group of 20 psychologists, social workers and shelter staff who work with survivors of domestic violence. The trainees belong to several NGOs that seek to provide comprehensive assistance to beneficiaries residing in Tiraspol, Grigoriopol, Ribnita and neighbouring localities on the left bank.

Participants in a conference held in Vienna on 18 October 2017 reviewed current manifestations of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims and related challenges across the OSCE region and explored methods for developing a comprehensive response to address these phenomena. The event,

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission observed an impact site and damage to a fence near a residence in Novooleksandrivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Oleksandrivske and Samiilove, two settlements near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission observed armoured combat vehicles and a surface-to-air missile system near Svobodne, in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to the Memorandum. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the thermal power plant in Shchastia, a water pumping station near Artema and power lines near Druzhba. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored large gatherings in Kyiv, including in front of the national Parliament building, and a gathering in Chernivtsi...

VIENNA, 18 October 2017 – The role of security forces in supporting national governments in managing migration crises was the focus of the today’s joint meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation under Serbia’s Chairmanship and the Permanent Council in Vienna.

VIENNA, 18 October 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about an injunction issued by the Reykjavik District Commissioner on any reporting on leaked documents from the collapsed bank Glitnir. The documents, which have been reported on by international and domestic news media, allegedly include information about the prime minister’s financial interests at the bank...

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 increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

VIENNA, 17 October 2017 – The Austrian OSCE Chairmanship closely followed the meeting of the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, organized under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in Geneva on 16 October...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Judicial Training Centre organized a first in a series of three one-day training courses on hate crime for representatives of the judiciary on 17 October 2017 in Podgorica...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24-hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations, including two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, outside the reporting period. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including to a weapons storage site in areas outside government control and in Ivanivka, towards an area close to the border with the Russian Federation. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zhelanne. Near Zernove the SMM saw a concentration of tanks and armoured combat vehicles, in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to the Memorandum. The SMM observed the presence of mines, including east of Popasna, where it had previously seen demining activities. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored gatherings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro...