Kent Harstedt and Ignacio Sanchez Amor COPENHAGEN, 27 March 2017 – Belarusian authorities must respect principles of freedom of assembly in their handling of demonstrations, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee Chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor and Kent Harstedt, the Chair of the Assembly’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, said today in response to mass arrests of protesters that took place over the weekend. They further called for

OSCE PA Vice-President and Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus Kent Harstedt COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2017 – Kent Harstedt (MP, Sweden), the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, today expressed concerns regarding an increasingly hazardous atmosphere pertaining to demonstrations that have taken place in recent weeks and other gatherings that are reportedly planned to be held tomorrow. “The Belarusian

Ignacio Sanchez Amor and Geir Jorgen Bekkevold COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2017 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia and provide leadership for the OSCE’s short-term observer mission. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz has appointed Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the expected 250 short-term OSCE observers for the 2 April vote. Geir Jorgen Bekkevold (MP, Norway)

Valentina Matvienko, Christine Muttonen and Doris Bures at the "OSCE Security Policy - Female Perspectives" conference in Vienna, 23 March 2017. Photo: Austrian Parliament / Johannes Zinner VIENNA, 23 March 2017 – Improving the level of engagement of women in discussions on security, including conflict resolution and addressing violent extremism, was in focus today at a day-long conference hosted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at the

COPENHAGEN, 22 March 2017 – Following an attack today near the British Houses of Parliament, which is reportedly being treated as “a terrorist incident” by the London police, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) issued the following statement: “I strongly condemn the terrible attack that took place outside the UK’s Parliament building in London today. My thoughts are with the victims, with my colleagues in the

OSCE PA Parliamentary Team on Moldova Chair Arta Dade with Moldovan President Igor Dodon, Chisinau, 22 March 2017 CHISINAU, 22 March 2017 – The Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Team on Moldova, Arta Dade (MP, Albania), today concluded a three-day visit to Chisinau and Tiraspol, encouraging the sides to follow through on their commitments and produce concrete results in the Transdniestrian settlement process. In Chisinau, Dade met with