News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Lack of equal opportunities, one-sided media coverage and limitations on fundamental freedoms created unlevel playing field in Turkey’s constitutional referendum, international observers say
Publishing date: 17 April 2017
ANKARA, 17 April 2017 – The 16 April constitutional referendum in Turkey was contested on an unlevel playing field, and the two sides in the campaign did not have equal opportunities, the international observers concluded in a statement released today. While the technical aspects of the process were well administered, voters were not provided with impartial information about key aspects of the reform, and limitations on fundamental freedoms had a negative effect, the statement says.
OSCE/ODIHR Director Link condemns undue restrictions on demonstrations and unnecessary use of force against peaceful protesters in Belarus
Publishing date: 26 March 2017
WARSAW, 26 March 2017- Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, today condemned the reported undue restrictions on public assemblies and the unnecessary use of force by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protestors in Minsk and other cities in the country.
Ensuring independence and quality of judiciaries vital for democratic societies say participants at OSCE/ODIHR meeting in Warsaw
Publishing date: 21 November 2016
WARSAW, 21 November 2016 – Promoting effective justice systems and, in particular, ensuring the independence and quality of judiciaries are vital to the promotion of human rights and democratic societies, participants at the opening of an OSCE meeting in Warsaw said today...
OSCE/ODIHR expert meeting in Warsaw examines impact of states of conflict or emergency on fair trial rights
Publishing date: 28 October 2016
More than 30 academics, legal professionals and representatives of civil society and international organizations explored the implications of states of conflict or emergency on fair trial rights at a meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw
ODIHR Director Link expresses concern over sentencing of officials of political party banned in Tajikistan
Publishing date: 3 June 2016
WARSAW, 3 June 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed concern today over yesterday’s sentencing by a court in Dushanbe of two leaders of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) to life imprisonment, and 11 other high-ranking party officials to jail terms ranging from two to 28 years...
ODIHR Director Link welcomes U.S. Supreme Court decision throwing out conviction, death sentence of African-American man from all-white jury
Publishing date: 24 May 2016
WARSAW, 24 May 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), welcomed the decision on 23 May by the United States Supreme Court upending the conviction and death sentence of an African American man, Timothy Tyrone Foster, on the basis that prosecutors had excluded African-Americans from the jury at his trial...
ODIHR Director Link and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Kanerva express concerns over vote by Turkish parliament to strip certain deputies of immunity
Publishing date: 24 May 2016
WARSAW/COPENHAGEN, 24 May 2016 – In a joint statement, Ilkka Kanerva, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, expressed concern today over a constitutional amendment passed by the Turkish parliament stripping certain members of their immunity from prosecution...