COPENHAGEN, 28 February 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today issued the following statement on the murder of Russian opposition leader and former First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov on Friday night in Moscow: "I am outraged and appalled at the news of Boris Nemtsov's murder. On behalf of the parliamentarians of the OSCE, I call on Russian authorities to uncover the truth behind this killing and

COPENHAGEN, 26 February 2015 – The Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today expressed deep concern about continuing threats to civil society and journalists in Azerbaijan and renewed her request to visit detained rights defenders. "The steady stream of threats to rights defenders and reporters in Azerbaijan continues to flow unchecked, pushing

COPENHAGEN, 25 February 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today issued the following statement on continuing restrictions imposed on OSCE monitors in Ukraine and the need for full Russian support: "I am profoundly disturbed by the illegal separatists' continuing refusal to grant unlimited, safe access to OSCE monitors on the ground in Ukraine and their violations of the Minsk Package of Measures. By

osce OSCE officials (top) addressed the Assembly ahead of the debate on Ukraine, 20 February. VIENNA, 20 February 2015 – Nearly 250 parliamentarians from more than 50 OSCE participating States held an impassioned and at-times heated debate today on the crisis in Ukraine, the Organization's responses and the status of the Minsk package of measures aimed at a resolution. Top OSCE officials working on the crisis, including Ambassadors Heidi

OSCE PA President Kanerva (top left) and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dacic (top right) address the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Winter Meeting, 19 February. VIENNA, 19 February 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic joined OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) for the opening plenary of the PA's Winter Meeting today, with both stressing that the internationally brokered plan to end

Meeting of the Bureau of the OSCE PA, 18 February VIENNA, 18 February 2015 – The Bureau of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today unanimously rejected the Russian Federation’s designation of Olga Kovitidi as a Member of the OSCE PA. Ms. Kovitidi was identified by the Russian Federation as a Member of the Federation Council representing the so-called government of Crimea. The Bureau made its decision following an official challenge by the