Isabel Santos, Chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions COPENHAGEN, 27 October 2015 – The Azerbaijani government’s crackdown on independent and critical voices has a particularly damaging effect ahead of the country’s 1 November parliamentary elections, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s democracy and human rights Chairperson, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), said today. “Citizen election-observer

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Ignacio Sanchez Amor (left) and OSCE PA Delegation Head Margareta Cederfelt COPENHAGEN, 19 October 2015 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming early parliamentary elections in Turkey and provide leadership for the OSCE's short-term observer mission. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ivica Dacic has designated Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Kent Harstedt (center) and OSCE PA Delegation Head Jim Walsh (right) speak to a reporter at a polling station in Minsk, 11 October 2015. MINSK, 12 October 2015 – The 11 October election once again indicated that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections. This underscores the need for the political will to engage in a comprehensive reform process, the

COPENHAGEN, 10 October 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement on today’s deadly blasts in Ankara, which targeted a rally calling for an end to violence with Kurdish separatists: "I deplore in the strongest terms today’s attacks in Ankara, which took the lives of innocent Turkish citizens aiming to exercise their right to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. This act of

OSCE Special Co-ordinator Ignacio Sanchez Amor (left) and OSCE PA Delegation Head Ivana Dobesova speak to the media outside a polling station in Bishkek on election day, 4 October 2015. BISHKEK, 5 October 2015 – The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were competitive and provided voters with a wide range of choice, while the manner in which they were administered highlighted the need for better procedures and increased transparency, the

OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva speaks in Moscow, 1 October 2015. (courtesy of the Russian State Duma) COPENHAGEN, 1 October 2015 – Interparliamentary organizations, national parliaments and individual parliamentarians can best promote international security by championing rules and norms, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) said in Moscow today. President Kanerva also underscored the role of frequent and