COPENHAGEN 3 May 2011 — OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou released the following statement today commemorating World Press Freedom Day: “One of our most cherished values is the freedom of democracy, but equally important is the freedom of media. “To the governments who restrict press freedoms through laws that make insult a criminal act, harassment that forces printing presses to shut down, or physical abuse that ultimately silences reporters

COPENHAGEN, 3 May 2011 – The public report released yesterday by the International Independent Commission for Inquiry into the events in southern Kyrgyzstan sheds new light on the tragic events of last summer, OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou said today. "I strongly support the work of the Independent Commission headed by Kimmo Kiljunen, President Efthymiou said. "Nothing can undo the suffering or bring back the lives lost, but we are

BBC NEWS 3 May 2011 An independent inquiry into ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan last year says it found serious violations of international law - some of which could amount to crimes against humanity. The report highlighted weak government structures and the possible complicity of security personnel as factors. The Kyrgyz government condemned the report's findings as "unacceptable". The riots last June between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz left

COPENHAGEN, 29 April 2011– The Italian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today called for more parliamentary cooperation to enact legislation aimed at protecting national minorities. In inviting parliamentarians to a conference on minority issues to take place in Bolzano on 20 May, Senator Riccardo Migliori, OSCE PA Vice-President, said “It was exactly in Bolzano three years ago that the OSCE and the High Commissioner on National

Вальбурга Габсбург Дуглас (Швеция), Председатель Общего комитета ПА ОБСЕ по вопросам демократии, прав человека и гуманитарным вопросам, посетила Кыргызстан в начале этого месяца в целях укрепления надлежащего сотрудничества между Кыргызстаном и ПА ОБСЕ. «Нам необходимо уделять больше внимания Кыргызстану», заявила она. «ОБСЕ и ЕС должны продолжать концентрировать внимание на ситуации в Кыргызстане и поддерживать демократические институты

COPENHAGEN, 12 April 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today expressed his condolences to the Belarusian people after a bomb in the Minsk metro killed at least 12 people and injured several more. "I extend our condolences to the Belarusian people following last night’s violent attack on the metro in the nation’s capital. We stand together with the people of Belarus in condemning this act of violence. We hope