News and press releases

The SMM observed the simultaneous release of 68 hostages/prisoners in the Donetsk region...

VIENNA, 12 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said the recent series of threats and vandalism against the editorial offices of the daily German newspaper Lausitzer Rundschau are unacceptable and must be stopped...

KYIV, 12 September 2014 – More can be done to enhance women’s participation in political life and in giving them a role in reconciliation and peace efforts in Ukraine, said the OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, as she concluded a five-day visit to Kyiv...

Researchers and practitioners specializing in border management and the security sector from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation are invited to apply to participate in the Cross-Border Research Conference 2014. The event will take place from 17 to 21 November at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe...

The OSCE field missions in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan supported a meeting between the Khujand and Osh Aarhus Centres in Khujand, Tajikistan, from 4 to 5 September 2014, to promote co-ordination between the Centres in confronting environmental challenges common to both countries...

COPENHAGEN, 12 September 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has called for a zero impunity policy when OSCE principles are violated in the Ukrainian conflict during an address at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Oslo...

The SMM continued to observe the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in light of the Minsk agreement on non-use of weapons...

COPENHAGEN, 11 September 2014 – The OSCE Chairperson’s Personal Representatives on combating discrimination and promoting tolerance on 10 to 11 September 2014 made their second joint country visit this year to Denmark. The visit is aimed at identifying problems, best practices as well as gaps in policy, activities and legislation, and areas where the OSCE can provide further support...

ASTANA, 11 September 2014 – A two-day regional seminar on best international practices in countering transnational organized crime in the area of customs began today in Astana...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Defence Ministry of Montenegro, organized pre-deployment human rights training for personnel from the Armed Forces of Montenegro who will be engaged in upcoming international missions. The training was held on 4th and 5th September 2014, in Danilovgrad...

The SMM continued to observe the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in light of the Minsk agreement on non-use of weapons. IDPs continue to leave the east of the country.

ISSYK-KUL, 11 September 2014- The third meeting of experts from the Anti-Terrorism Centres ofthe OSCE member states Kyrgyzstan, Russia Federation, Belarus, Lithuania, Mongolia, United States of America, Pakistan, Serbia, Spain and Turkey was held on 9to 10 September, 2014 in Kyrgyzstan...

BISHKEK, 11 September 2014 – Twelve university students completed a three-month internship programme at the Parliament of Kyrgyz Republic today. The Parliamentary Internship program, in its third year, is managed by the American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS), and supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek...

PRAGUE, 10 September 2014 – With natural disasters more frequent and destructive, greater impetus and enhanced efforts are needed by States to work together to better prevent, mitigate, and respond to this threat, said senior officials and experts at the concluding meeting of the 22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which opened in Prague today....

KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russian Federation, 10 September 2014- The Observer Mission (OM) is operating at full capacity. Cross-border traffic flows remained steady at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The clear negative flow (more people exiting the Russian Federation (RF) into Ukraine) continued while the total number of border crossings increased, particularly after the ceasefire agreement entered into force. The OM observed considerable numbers of persons in camouflage clothing entering the RF from Ukraine, especially at Donetsk BCP. In general, people exiting the RF for Ukraine seem to be more relaxed than during previous weeks...

BELGRADE, 10 September 2014 – The OSCE Mission to Serbia, at the request of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Republican Electoral Commission, supported the translation into several minority languages of legislation related to the upcoming elections to the National Councils of National Minorities (NMCs)...

KORÇA, ALBANIA, 10 September 2014 – Judges in Korça have embraced today an OSCE-supported project aimed at reducing unreasonable delays in trials, following the positive results of the project in another court in Albania...

In Kharkiv, the SMM visited the Ukrainian Army military recruitment centre located in a residential area at Sokolova Street 7 in Kharkiv city, which was attacked at 04:30hrs on 8 September. Five smashed windows were observed and the device remnants were indicative of home-made pipe bombs...

Key challenges in creating an enabling legislative environment for associations were the focus of a roundtable discussion organized in Warsaw by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission) on 8 and 9 September 2014.

VIENNA, 9 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today again expressed her concern about the intimidation of free voices in Crimea following the detention and interrogation of Yelizaveta Bohutskaya, a blogger and contributor to various media outlets, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Crimean desk, in Simferopol...

SOFIA, 9 September 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 5 October early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs...

ASHGABAT, 9 September 2014 – Modern trends in the legal regulation of broadcasting were discussed at an OSCE-supported roundtable that ended in Ashgabat today...

On 5 September the OSCE Mission to Serbia donated six computers and one printer/scanner to the Serbian Interior Ministry, as part of a three-country regional project on combating organized crime...

The SMM continued monitoring, with a focus- in light of arrangements made in Minsk- on events in Donbas...

Some 40 representatives from regional civil society organizations of the South Caucasus and international NGOs took part in a discussion in Tbilisi on 3 and 4 September 2014, organized jointly by the 2014 Swiss OSCE Chairmanship and the Georgian NGO Analytical Center for Interethnic Cooperation and Consultations. The focus of the event was on the prevention of torture, the independence of the judiciary, and the institutional and legal framework to combat discrimination...

VIENNA, 8 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that amendments to a law in Uzbekistan further limit freedom of expression and free media in the country...

VIENNA, 8 September 2014 –OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that the criminal libel charges filed against journalist Dušan Karolyi in Slovakia are worrying and pose a threat to free media...

The SMM saw evidence of an exchange of fire close to the area of Donetsk International Airport, and in Shchastya, 20 km north of Luhansk...

On 6 September at 22:45hrs the SMM heard artillery shelling to the east of Mariupol. The SMM could not ascertain from which direction the shelling was being fired. It lasted until 23:51hrs...

Observations by the monitoring teams of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) based at the Shchastya checkpoint and Stanitsa Luhanska (Luhansk region); Mariupol and Donetsk city...

BERN, 7 September 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter commended the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) for its measures taken to rapidly adapt to new monitoring needs arising from the protocol signed in Minsk on 5 September. Underlining that it was key to assist in the implementation of the Minsk commitments without delay, Burkhalter confirmed that the SMM had redeployed in the last two days 59 specialists with particular experience in the monitoring of ceasefires and was now in the process of rapidly recruiting further monitors...

This report is for media and the general public...

On 5 September, the SMM monitored the Vostochny District of Mariupol city and the “Vostochny” checkpoint on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol...

The security situation in Donetsk remained volatile. Intense shelling in Donetsk city continued. In Mariupol local inhabitants fear possible attacks by irregular armed groups. Reportedly, the “Aidar” battalion occupied the main power plant in Shchastya...

BERN, 5 September 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter welcomed today’s agreement in Minsk on a ceasefire and on launching a political process to resolve the crisis. Emphasizing the opportunity to finally reverse the logic of escalation, he said that this conflict had caused far too much bloodshed and misery already and urged all sides to implement today’s commitments. Burkhalter also commended the work of the Trilateral Contact Group and thanked his Special Representative Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini for her untiring work...

SARAJEVO, 5 September 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Jonathan Moore, today met Foreign Minister of BiH Zlatko Lagumdžija, to discuss the role of the OSCE in the country and the Mission’s future work in key areas...

VIENNA, 5 September 2014 – Following the continued intimidation of members of the media in Ukraine, most recently a series of abductions of journalists covering the conflict in the eastern part of the country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today again said that the attacks on journalists must stop...

MOSCOW, 5 September 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) met with Russian State Duma Chairperson and Head of the Russian Delegation to the OSCE PA Sergey Naryshkin at the conclusion of his visit to Moscow today...

CHISINAU, 5 September 2014 –Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process Ambassador Radojko Bogojević and Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Ambassador Michael Scanlan today urged the need for continued regular, direct contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol to make as much progress as possible on concrete issues that affect peoples’ lives on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River...

The situation in Mariupol and the surrounding area raises concern due to increased military activity, primarily to the east of Mariupol city. Reportedly, heavy fighting in the area of Shyrokyne (24km east of Mariupol city) and Bezimenne (34km east of Mariupol city) is taking place. Local residents are nervous and fear that Mariupol may be attacked soon.

In Kharkiv the monument to Cossack Ataman Ivan Sirko, which had been inaugurated on 23 August 2014, was vandalised during the night of 2 September. Footage of the monument painted green was circulated in the local media...

MOSCOW, 4 September 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) urged Russia to play a constructive role in the Ukrainian crisis and abide by OSCE commitments during meetings in Moscow today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matvienko...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA / VIENNA, 4 September 2014 – Following recent threats directed at Visar Duriqi, journalist with the Prishtinë/Priština-based news portal Express, the OSCE media freedom representative, Dunja Mijatović today condemned the threats, and the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, called on institutions in Kosovo to provide greater security for journalists...

A working group of professional legal trainers gathered on 3 September 2014 in Tatariv, in Ukraine’s western Ivano-Frankivsk region, to begin developing a national standard for judicial education on how to apply the European Convention on Human Rights and case-law of the Strasbourg Court in national legal practice...

VIENNA, 4 September 2014 – OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today welcomed Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova of Kazakhstan as the new Special Representative and Co-ordinator to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings...

DUSHANBE, 4 September 2014 – Nineteen Afghan border police officers completed today a training course on patrolling and leadership organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. Most of the graduates ranked between warrant officer and major, and are stationed with border detachments at the Afghan-Tajik border...

In Donetsk the SMM heard renewed shelling in the city and mortar fire coming from within the airport area. In Mariupol local authorities are stepping up efforts to protect the city.

SARAJEVO, 3 September 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 12 October 2014 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina...

KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russian Federation, 3 September 2014- The Observer Mission (OM) is operating at full capacity. Cross-border traffic flow remained steady at both Border Crossing Points. However, the OM observed a clear reversal in the flow of people crossing the border (more people exiting the Russian Federation into Ukraine). The OM observed an increased military activity principally of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the vicinity of the Border Crossing Points. The OM heard considerable artillery detonations from the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...

VIENNA, 3 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that the London Metropolitan Police’s access to The Sun political editor Tom Newton Dunn’s phone records while investigating a source of leaks without his consent is unacceptable...