MINSK, 21 September 2012 - The international observers monitoring the parliamentary elections in Belarus will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Monday, 24 September, in Minsk. The international observation is a common endeavour involving the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA). The statement will be delivered by Matteo

ROME, 20 September 2012 – OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori today issued the following statement regarding the news of prisoner abuse that has emerged in Georgia: "The images of prisoner abuse in Georgia are enough to shock the conscience. I am appalled by the conduct on display in prison number 8 and I expect full prosecutions of those who carried out the abuse as well as those responsible in high positions who allowed it to happen – both to

MINSK, Belarus, 19 September 2012 – Matteo Mecacci (MP, Italy), the special co-ordinator to lead the OSCE short-term election observation in Belarus, today issued the following statement upon learning that two parliamentarians from Germany and Lithuania, who planned to observe the elections, were told they would be denied visas by the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "I am disappointed to hear that two members of our delegation were not

COPENHAGEN, 14 September 2012 – The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, has appointed Roberto Battelli of Slovenia to serve as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission to the 14 October parliamentary elections in Montenegro. "The strength of democracy throughout our region depends on all election stakeholders living up to their OSCE commitments and I look forward to observing once

COPENHAGEN, 13 September 2012 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori (MP, Italy) today welcomed comments by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that incarcerated Pussy Riot band members should be freed early from their two-year prison sentence. "I welcome the leadership shown by Prime Minister Medvedev for rightly acknowledging that these women have been in jail long enough," Migliori said. "To be sure, these women should

ROME, 12 September 2012 -- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori (MP, Italy) and Matteo Mecacci (MP, Italy), Chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Affairs and Humanitarian Questions issued the following statement today: "The tragic events in Benghazi will not halt the democratic process in North Africa, the relations of co-operation with Europe and the spreading of a culture of religious freedom alien to all forms