News and press releases

This report is for the media and the general public. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM corroborated reports of civilian casualties and observed impact sites in Sakhanka. The SMM saw military

VIENNA, 25 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern about the termination of the analogue distribution of public service broadcaster UA:PBC in Ukraine and repeated his call to the authorities to urgently resolve difficulties with funding the broadcaster’s activities...

VIENNA, 25 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today criticized the Austrian Interior Ministry’s instruction to boycott and restrict the flow of information to certain media outlets, and called on the Ministry of Interior to refrain from attacking the media...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 21 and 22 September. Between the evenings of 22 and 23 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on a civilian casualty in Popasna. The SMM observed damage as a result of shelling in residential areas in Yasynuvata, Pikuzy and Uzhivka. The SMM continued to observe civilians facing hardships crossing the contact line. The SMM saw military-type presence inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted again near Zaichenko and Bezimenne, as well as near Novolaspa and Voznesenivka, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines in Sakhanka. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance works to water infrastructure in Avdiivka, Yasynuvata and Stanytsia Luhanska, and to power lines in Zolote, as well as demining in Pishchane. The SMM observed a protest in Odessa and followed up on reports of an activist being shot later the same day...

ASTANA, 24 September 2018 – An OSCE-organized week-long simulation exercise on how to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking kicks off today at the Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats in Astana. More than 50 professionals from law enforcement, labour inspectorates, financial investigative units, prosecutorial offices, NGOs and social services from 14 OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation are participating in the live-action training...

VIENNA, 24 September 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today denounced the arrest of three journalists from the Greek daily newspaper Fileleftheros on defamation charges and welcomed that the prosecutor decided not to immediately press charges, a move that led to their release. He called on authorities to decriminalize defamation...

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in co-ordination with the BiH Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Co-ordination of the Fight against Corruption, organized a one-day workshop for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) Anti-corruption Team and anti-corruption focal points within the ministries of the Herzegovina-Neretva cantonal government on 20 September 2018 in Mostar.