Central Europe

SARAJEVO, 8 June 2021 – “Today’s verdict closes an important chapter in pursuing justice for victims and survivors of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity committed in BiH,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kavalec said that the verdict is a crucial step toward holding accountable individuals responsible for these crimes. “Justice for victims and survivors is essential to building lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to upholding the rule of law. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families of all victims of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.”

The BiH Presidency, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, reminded “of the obligation to sympathize with the pain and suffering of members of all peoples and citizens, and the obligation to show respect to all innocent war victims”.

“In line with these words, the Mission urges everyone in BiH to work towards promoting peace and reconciliation, to show compassion for victims and survivors by respecting the verdicts of international and domestic judicial institutions, and to refrain from divisive and offensive rhetoric,” said Kavalec.

“The Mission reminds that criminal responsibility is attributed to individuals and urges all to refrain from construing the verdict as being directed against any ethnic group,” said Kavalec.

“While the Mission recognizes today’s verdict as a positive development, the fact remains that many crimes committed during the conflict remain unanswered. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to support the judiciary of BiH with the processing of war crimes cases in BiH in accordance with the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy and internationally recognized fair trial standards,” concluded Kavalec.

489307 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The OSCE, together with Libera, an Italian civil society organization working on social re-use of confiscated property, organized a two-day online workshop on social re-use of confiscated assets on 8 and 9 June 2021.

Aimed at strengthening the involvement of civil society organizations in the asset recovery and social re-use process, the workshop gathered representatives of civil society organizations and asset management agencies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

In her introductory remarks, Anita Ramasastry, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption, stated: “As organized crime continues evolving and becoming more sophisticated in conducting its operation, involving all relevant actors and engaging civil society organizations in the efforts to combat organized crime is more relevant than ever.”

Experts from Europe and South America shared different experiences on the implementation of social re-use in their national context, highlighting why a collaborative relationship between civil society and government agencies is of crucial importance for a successful social re-use result.

The regional workshop was organized as part of the OSCE extra-budgetary project on Asset recovery in South-Eastern Europe, led by OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, the donors of which are the United States Department of State, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

ULAANBAATAR, 8 June 2021 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to the 2021 Mongolian presidential election will present their preliminary findings at a press conference.

NB Due to social distancing requirements, only a limited number of journalists can attend the press conference in person. All others will have the opportunity to watch and ask questions via Zoom. Broadcast media wishing to film the press conference will be prioritized for personal attendance.

What:

• A press conference of the international observer team sent by ODIHR to the presidential election in Mongolia
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Lolita Čigāne, Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission
• Gilles Saphy, Deputy Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission

When:

• 15:00 local time (GMT +8) on 10 June 2021

Where:

• Blue Sky Hotel, Peace Avenue 17, Sukhbaatar District, 1st Quarter, Ulaanbaatar

Registration:

• Due to the pandemic, only journalists will be able to attend the press conference in person. Broadcast media wishing to film the press conference will be prioritized for personal attendance.
• To take part via Zoom, please register by 20:00 local time on 9 June using this link.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 4 and 6 June, the SMM recorded 72 ceasefire violations, including 41 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 83 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 4 and 6 June, the Mission recorded 76 ceasefire violations, including 17 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 141 ceasefire violations in the region.

• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the area near Petrivske.
• SMM mini-UAV spotted anti-tank mines on both sides of the contact line in Luhansk region, some seen for the first time and assessed as recently laid.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission observed no change in the security situation in south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Vasylivka and in Starolaspa, both in southern Donetsk region. Its mini-UAVs again experienced instances of GPS signal interference.*

THE HAGUE, 7 June 2021 — Different approaches to support the integration of diverse societies through multilingual and multicultural education were in focus at an online conference held today to mark the 25th anniversary of The Hague Recommendations regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities.

The Hague Recommendations outline general principles that states can keep in mind when designing a balanced education system that enables national minority students to achieve proficiency in their mother tongue while also learning the state language. The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov explained that “a balanced education system supports the rights of persons belonging to national minorities to express their cultural identity and participate in the political, social and economic life of their country.”

The Hague Recommendations are also part of the High Commissioner’s work to promote the integration of diverse societies as a key pillar of conflict prevention. “It is a two-way process that requires fairness and equal participation by both majority and minorities in a society. And by ‘fairness’ we mean supporting minorities’ use of their languages through education and as a part of expressing their culture and identity,” he said.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde said: “The Hague Recommendations are important for the participating States to safeguard equitable and inclusive education of good quality for all, including persons belonging to national minorities. This is also equally valid for the importance and role of education in conflict-, post-conflict and humanitarian crisis settings”.

During the conference, participants also discussed the disproportionate effect of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of national minorities, especially girls. They gave examples of how harnessing the potential of the digital age can help address the impact of the pandemic on national minority youth to maintain and enhance the equalizing role of education. They also shared their experiences with using digital tools to support quality education in a diverse society.

The conference was attended by high-level representatives of education authorities in OSCE participating States, of the OSCE and other international organizations, and experts working in the field of multilingual and multicultural education. A recording of the event is available on the HCNM’s YouTube channel.

488812 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The presidential election held in Portugal on 24 January 2021 was organized efficiently despite challenges and new provisions introduced amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but areas such as campaign financing and media regulations would benefit from further revision. These are some of the main conclusions included in the final report on Portugal’s 2021 presidential election, as published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The report offers 18 recommendations to improve the conduct of elections and to increase transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

Key recommendations include:

• To consolidate the election legislation in order to increase its accessibility and transparency, and to avoid any inconsistencies

• To review the appointment process for polling station commissions so as to maintain their impartiality and professionality

• To amend the election legislation in order to guarantee that citizen and international observers can follow all stages of the election process

• To shorten the timelines for submission and verification of campaign finance reports

• To grant institutional and financial autonomy to the Entity on Political Finance and Accounts to enable it to perform its oversight role in an effective and timely manner

• To repeal criminal penalties for defamation in favour of civil sanctions with a reasonable financial penalty

• To revise the legal framework on media coverage of elections to provide sufficient guarantees for editorial freedom while respecting the right of all candidates to present their programs

• To promptly and diligently investigate all allegations of hate speech made during the election period that may lead to intolerance and infringement of basic rights, while respecting the freedom of speech

ODIHR deployed an Election Expert Team on 11 January 2021 to observe the presidential election. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

VIENNA, 7 June 2021 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is hosting the 21st Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons Conference from 14 to 16 June 2021 to discuss how to confront the demand that fosters trafficking in human beings.

Due to travel and event restrictions, the conference will be conducted online via Zoom. Registration is open until Thursday, 10 June, 17:00 CEST.

The 2021 OSCE Alliance focuses on:

• Improving understanding of what constitutes the demand that fosters sexual and labour exploitation, its scale, and dynamics;

• Exploring methods of prevention to proactively counter and reduce the commercial incentives for trafficking, including the demand for goods and services, which can be produced by or extracted from trafficking victims.

The following people will speak at the opening:

• OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey;
• OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid;
• Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Sweden, Anna Ekstedt;
• OSCE Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci;
• European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson; and
• First Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Uzebkistan, Erkin Mukhitdinov.

Launched in 2004, the Alliance is an informal platform for advocacy and co-operation that includes international and civil society organizations. The Alliance combines and co-ordinates the efforts of all its partners behind the common goal of preventing and combating human trafficking.

The Alliance also supports the OSCE participating States in establishing a harmonized approach to combat this heinous crime that violates human rights and undermines the rule of law, human security, and good migration governance throughout the region.

The conference opens on 14 June, 14:00. The agenda and more information can be found here.   

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 83 ceasefire violations, including 16 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 79 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 141 ceasefire violations, including nine explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded no ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to an explosion of an object in Zhovte, Luhansk region.
• The Mission saw damage to four civilian properties and a functional school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, Luhansk region.

• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the area near Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Shevchenko, Donetsk region, and a functional school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, Luhansk region.

WARSAW, 4 June 2021 — The televised “confessions” of independent journalist Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega, his partner, raise further concerns regarding the Belarus authorities’ failure to meet obligations to respect the right to a fair trial and the absolute prohibition of torture in the wave of arrests since last August’s presidential election, says the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“The recently broadcast footage with Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega is deeply disturbing, violates their right to fair trial and may be a sign that they were coerced or tortured, which is prohibited under international law. As the actions to date make it impossible for Pratasevich and Sapega to receive a fair trial, I call for their release as an immediate remedy,” said Matteo Mecacci, ODIHR Director.

OSCE participating States have explicitly and unequivocally pledged to uphold the right to a fair trial and the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and committed to strive for its elimination. At the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council in Tirana in 2020, OSCE participating States committed to abandon and refrain from the use of interrogation techniques that constitute torture and other ill-treatment, including to obtain a confession. 

The Belarusian authorities should investigate credible allegations that Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega have been subjected to torture or other prohibited treatment. Any attempt to include the “confessions” as evidence in court proceedings against them, would further erode the legality of a trial.

The video-recorded confessions themselves as well as broadcasts shortly after their arrest following the diversion of a civilian plane to Minsk by the Belarusian authorities, seriously affect their right to presumption of innocence and to effective legal assistance, both essential components of the right to fair trial.

Thousands of Belarusian citizens have been detained, sentenced, imprisoned and subjected to other forms of harassment while exercising their rights, as the authorities clamped down on peaceful protests following Presidential elections in August 2020. Among them are numerous journalists and human rights defenders, targeted for their reporting of human rights violations.

VIENNA, 4 June 2021 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, expressed today her deep concern and sadness over the death of correspondent Maharram Ibrahimov (Alioghlu) and camera operator Siraj Abishov.

According to reports, both journalists, who worked for Azerbaijan State News Agency (Azertag) and Azerbaijan Television (AzTV), respectively, died today while on duty as a result of a landmine explosion in the Kalbajar district. Other persons, including film director of AzTV Emin Mammadov, have reportedly received injuries.

“The tragic death of Maharram Ibrahimov and Siraj Abishov is terrible news and I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to their relatives and colleagues,” Ribeiro said.

Ribeiro noted that the law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into the case and expressed hope that it will ensure full accountability for the journalists’ death.

488545

The launch of the project “Assistance in the Crime Prevention Among Children and Youth” at the juvenile colony for boys, supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), took place on 2 June 2021.

The project aims to enhance the national capacity to promote effective methods of crime prevention among youth by strengthening social integration and imparting legal basics about criminal law, gender sensitivity and children and youth rights.

Children and young people in custody come with complex needs and issues. Being left to fend for themselves, they often have no positive role model and tend to be in need for emotional, mental and physical support. Thus, the OSCE PCUz collaborates with the Child Rights Ombudsperson to offer opportunities for activities such as sport, music, theatre and vocational education.

During the visit, the OSCE PCUz and the Child Rights Ombudsperson were acquainted with the conditions in the colony and donated football uniforms to inmates.

Aliya Yunusova, the Child Rights Ombudsperson, addressed the colony’s inmates: “I am often asked how many children do I have and I say that all children in Uzbekistan are my children. Wherever you are, if your rights are violated, the Child Rights Ombudsperson is always ready to listen to you. You can send your appeals through Ombudsperson boxes or through the head of the colony. A hotline for children will also be introduced in the coming days to enable any child to call on their problems day and night.”

Mathieu Lemoine, Human Dimension Senior Project Officer, who attended the launch event said that the project’s activities are meant to be creative, constructive and future-focused. “Our goal is to help you to fulfil your potential and make a positive contribution to society.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 79 ceasefire violations, including four explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded three ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 357 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• In the past weeks, the Mission spotted extensions to existing trenches on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk region and in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored a public gathering in Lviv.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

CHISINAU, 4 June 2021 — The mediators and observers in the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiation Process on the Transdniestrian Settlement in the 5+2 format visited Chisinau and Tiraspol on 3-4 June 2021 for talks with the Moldovan and Transdniestrian leaderships.

During their visit, the mediators and observers met in Chisinau with Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, Acting Prime Minister, Aureliu Ciocoi, as well as Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Chief Negotiator, Olga Cebotari. In Tiraspol, they met with Transdniestrian leader, Vadim Krasnoselsky, and Chief Negotiator, Vitaly Ignatiev.

The mediators and observers welcomed the dialogue between both Sides on the level of political representatives and joint expert working groups; the enhanced co-ordination and interaction of the Sides in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular the distribution of vaccines; as well as the recent steps taken towards the restoration of freedom of movement between both banks.

At the same time, they underlined the need for a continued, intensive and constructive dialogue aimed at further strengthening the dynamic in the settlement process. In this respect, they encouraged the Sides to address, as a matter of priority, outstanding technical and practical issues with respect to the joint registration of vehicles from Transdniestria.

The mediators and observers urged the Sides to work towards the full and continuous implementation of the “Berlin-plus” package and encouraged them to develop, based on the progress made in this respect, joint proposals on further confidence-building measures as well as to intensify their dialogue on and efforts with regard to the protection of human rights.

The mediators and observers welcomed in this respect the readiness of both Sides to work towards holding a result-oriented meeting in the 5+2 format in Stockholm this autumn. The mediators and observers further welcomed the readiness of both Sides to address selected priority issues from the joint expert working groups in a retreat in Bavaria, Germany to be organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova by the end of this year.

Talks in the 5+2 format include representatives of the Sides: Moldova and Transdniestria, the mediators from the OSCE, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as the observers from the European Union and the United States of America.

BELGRADE, 4 June 2021– On the occasion of World Environment Day, Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, underlines the connection between environmental sustainability, economic growth and good governance.

“Environmental protection has received increased public attention as the impact of pollution on health and well-being becomes increasingly visible,” said Braathu. “Circular economy and environmental sustainability are rapidly becoming the new standard across Europe, offering combined benefits of economic growth and improved public health.  Environmentally aware policies across all sectors have become a hallmark of good governance.”

Braathu said that the new package of environmental laws, adopted this year by the Serbian National Assembly, supports low-carbon energy solutions. “The forthcoming investments in environmental infrastructure provide an excellent opportunity to advance economic development and create green jobs,” he said.

“We commend the collaborative efforts among business associations, government institutions and civil society in developing policy models that are resilient to future risks by integrating environmental, economic and social considerations. These actions will lead to improved quality of life and enhance security for all citizens.”

The OSCE Mission to Serbia through its programmes remains dedicated to supporting the efforts of both state institutions and civil-society organizations in working towards the advancement of environmental standards and achieving sustainable development.

The OSCE organized an online workshop on the social re-use of confiscated criminal assets in Montenegro on 3 June 2021. The workshop brought together representatives from civil society organizations, law enforcement and the Cadastre and State Property Administration of Montenegro.

The workshop aimed to reinforce the importance of asset re-use for social purposes among government agencies and civil society and to discuss the role of civil society in the fight against organized crime and corruption.

The event was organized in the framework of an OSCE extra-budgetary initiative on asset recovery in South-Eastern Europe led by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

During the workshop, national and international experts discussed Montenegro’s legislative framework related to asset recovery, provisions that might allow for the social re-use of assets, and possible revisions of the framework to enable more efficient management and re-use of assets. Experts and representatives of international and regional civil society organizations shared good practices on the re-use of criminal assets for social purposes.

The event is part of a series of national workshops on social re-use organized in five South-Eastern European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), which are beneficiaries of the OSCE initiative on asset recovery. The donors of the cross-dimensional project are the United States Department of State, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

488527

The role of Parliament in budgetary and financial security-sector oversight in Uzbekistan was discussed in an interactive workshop in Tashkent on 3 June 2021. Twenty members of the Oliy Majlis (parliament) participated in the event, including committee chairpersons and their deputies as well as members and support staff from the Legislative Chamber and the Senate.

At the request by the Parliament of Uzbekistan, the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre organized the event, in a blended format, jointly with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. This workshop followed up on a first event for newly elected members of Parliament, which took place in October 2020 and was supported by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“Financial oversight is a key instrument for ensuring that funds allocated to public institutions, including in the security sector, are spent in a transparent, efficient and accountable manner. The passing of the Parliamentary Oversight Act of Uzbekistan from 2016 shows that Uzbekistan is taking decisive steps towards advancing transparency and accountability by means of parliamentary oversight,” said Pierre von Arx, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Participants discussed the main principles and actors of financial oversight in the security sector, the role of parliament in different phases of budget cycle, the use of parliamentary powers and tools for financial oversight as well as oversight of security-related procurement. The workshop highlighted not only relevant international standards, but also included a number of interactive exercises and group discussions tailored to the local context.

Dilorom Fayzieva, Chairperson of the Committee on International Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, said, “Budgetary oversight is becoming one of the important components of parliamentary activity in Uzbekistan. Both chambers of the Oliy Majlis pay great attention to deepening co-operation with international organizations that promote inter-parliamentary interactions and the exchange of experiences and good practices with other national parliaments.”

The event was implemented through the OSCE extra-budgetary project “Support, capacity-building and awareness-raising for Security Sector Governance and Reform within the OSCE: Phase II”, supported financially by Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded three ceasefire violations, including an explosion. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 59 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 357 ceasefire violations, including 32 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 167 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and heard multiple ceasefire violations close to the area near Zolote.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Bessarabka in southern Donetsk region.*

CHISINAU, 3 June 2021 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 11 July early parliamentary elections in Moldova, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is led by Tamas Meszerics and consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Chisinau and 28 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 10 June. In addition, ODIHR is planning to request 200 short-term observers from OSCE countries, to arrive several days before election day.

The mission will assess the early parliamentary elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the election, including pre- and post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of changes to the legal framework, candidate registration, and campaign activities, as well as election dispute resolution and media coverage. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

Meetings with representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community, as well as with candidates, will take place throughout the observation.

On election day, the ODIHR mission will join efforts with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.  

An interim report will be published to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the election, the mission’s preliminary findings will be presented at a press conference. ODIHR will publish a final report on the observation approximately eight weeks after the end of the electoral process.

The ODIHR election observation mission and the OSCE Mission to Moldova operate independently under their separate mandates.

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson: Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266

Elma Sehalic, Media Analyst with the Election Observation Mission: elma.sehalic@odihr.md or +373 69980277

VIENNA, 2 June 2021 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today expressed her concern about the ongoing suspension of public funding for the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

According to reports, the STA has had its financing suspended by the Slovenian Government Communication Office (UKOM) for more than four months over a contractual dispute. This is reportedly the second time that the STA has been subjected to funding cuts for its public services by UKOM since the end of last year.

“The repeated suspension places the STA in a precarious state of limbo, threatening the very existence and operational stability of it as an essential public good in delivering reliable, pluralistic and quality information in a democratic society,” Ribeiro said. “I urge the authorities of Slovenia to reach a sustainable solution and reinstate funding, as prescribed by law, without further delay, to enable the STA to continue its important work.”

Ribeiro said that she will continue to follow closely related developments in the country and reiterated the great importance of the independence of, and adequate funding for, public service media, ensuring implementation of OSCE commitments regarding media freedom.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 59 ceasefire violations, including two explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 49 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 167 ceasefire violations, including 21 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 42 ceasefire violations in the region.
• A man and a woman were injured due to detonations of explosive objects near Horlivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM lost spatial control of its mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near government-controlled Trokhizbenka, Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its UAVs spotted people inside the disengagement area near Zolote during the daytime.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission observed a fresh impact crater near Pivnichne, Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a border crossing point outside government control near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk), Luhansk region.*