COPENHAGEN, 3 August 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement today on the passing of Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian National Council (Nationalrat) and Head of Austria's Delegation to the PA: "The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly mourns the loss of our esteemed colleague and friend, Barbara Prammer. As President of the Austrian National Council and head of her country's

COPENHAGEN, 2 August 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement today on the death of Assembly member Vladimir Kulakov of Russia: "My colleagues and I in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly were shocked by the terrible news that Vladimir Kulakov, our colleague and good friend, was killed in an accident in Crimea. We remember him as an active contributor to the work of the Assembly, and in

COPENHAGEN, 1 August 2014 – Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today deplored the intensifying crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan and called on authorities to quickly reverse the trend. "With this latest round of attacks on the country's civil society, Azerbaijan is making a mockery of its stated aspirations to become a modern,

COPENHAGEN, 31 July 2014 – Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today expressed regret over the 30 July ruling by a Kazakhstani court to deny parole to jailed labour activist Roza Tuletayeva. "I regret the court's decision to keep Roza Tuletayeva behind bars, apparently for her outspokenness and activism on behalf of fellow oil workers. This

COPENHAGEN, 29 July 2014 – OSCE parliamentarians will travel to Turkey next week to observe the country’s upcoming presidential election and provide leadership for the OSCE's short-term observer mission. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has designated Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (MP, Lithuania) as Special Co-ordinator of the mission to observe the 10 August vote. Asa Lindestam (MP, Sweden) will serve as Head of the OSCE PA

COPENHAGEN, 25 July 2014 – Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today expressed concern over events this week in Russia that appear aimed at stifling civil society and political dissent. “While the world focuses on the crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s troubling role in those events, no one should overlook what has been a disturbing week of