COPENHAGEN, 24 November 2014 – The chair of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today called on Russian authorities to ensure the ability of non-governmental organizations, including human rights group Memorial, to continue their important work and rescind restrictive regulations on their activities. Santos noted that in order to avoid being shut down by the authorities, Memorial, one of Russia’s

Top left: OSCE PA President Emeritus Ranko Krivokapic (MP, Montenegro), GMF President Karen Donfried, OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva Top right: OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver, Kanerva, GMF Senior Vice President for Programs Ivan Vejvoda Bottom left: former OSCE PA President and U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings, former OSCE PA President and Helsinki +40 Project Chair Joao Soares, Russian Academy of Sciences expert Andrei Zagorski,

COPENHAGEN, 14 November 2014 – On the eve of the 5th anniversary of the death of Sergei Magnistky, the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's human rights committee, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), has called for an end to impunity in Russia and greater attention to the persistent link between corruption and human rights transgressions across the OSCE area. "The killing of whistleblowing Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on 16 November 2009

COPENHAGEN, 14 November 2014 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova and provide leadership for the OSCE's short-term observer mission. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has designated Emin Onen (MP, Turkey) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for the 30 November vote. Arta Dade (MP, Albania) will serve as Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation,

OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (center) addresses the Permanent Council as Chairman Thomas Greminger of Switzerland (left) and OSCE PA Special Representative Andreas Nothelle (right) look on. COPENHAGEN, 13 November 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) criticized "unacceptable restrictions" on what OSCE observers on the Ukrainian-Russian border are able to report and called for broad Organizational reform in

Top: Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), the head of the OSCE PA observation mission, examines sample ballots at a Washington polling station on 4 November. Bottom: OSCE PA observers from 18 countries visit a polling station in Maryland. WASHINGTON, 5 November 2014 – The 2014 United States midterm elections were another demonstration of the country's commitment to democracy, as voters could readily inform themselves about their political options and