Participants at the OSCE PA-OSCE Centre in Ashgabat seminar, 14 April 2015 ASHGABAT, 15 April 2015 – Lawmakers from Turkmenistan discussed the activities of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and opportunities to deepen their engagement in its work at a seminar conducted by the OSCE PA and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat this week. The seminar, hosted by the Turkmen parliament, Mejlis, on 14-15 April, featured presentations by Thierry Mariani (MP,

COPENHAGEN, 10 April 2015 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance, U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin, today expressed deep concern over the fatal shooting of Walter Scott by a police officer on 4 April in the U.S. state of South Carolina. "The video depicting the tragic shooting of Walter Scott, an unarmed African-American man, at the hands of law enforcement further demonstrates the

OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (photo courtesy of OSCE/Micky Kroll) COPENHAGEN, 8 April 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today called for an immediate end to the intimidation of OSCE monitors in Ukraine and reiterated the need for the monitors to have unfettered access throughout the country. "The illegal separatists have threatened OSCE staff on the ground in Ukraine and I especially deplore yesterday's

Left to right: Nikolay Kovalev (MP, Russia); Serhiy Vysotskyi (MP, Ukraine); OSCE PA President Emeritus Ranko Krivokapic (MP, Montenegro); OSCE PA Vice-President Doris Barnett (MP, Germany); OSCE President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland); Olha Belkova (MP, Ukraine); Nataliia Ahafonova (MP, Ukraine), 29 March 2015 LEINSWEILER, Germany, 29 March 2015 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the German Bundestag hosted a retreat and seminar in

Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal) COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2015 – The Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today criticized the continued official targeting of civil society organizations in Russia, exemplified by the fine levied against the Sakharov Center this week. "The Sakharov Center plays a crucial role in commemorating and educating about

OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva at the Assembly's Winter Meeting, 19 February 2015 COPENHAGEN, 18 March 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea, Ukraine by the Russian Federation: "Last March, Russia attempted to legitimize its occupation of Crimea and the fabricated 'referendum' that followed by supposedly