Latest news with #OSCE
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Netherlands with 40 other OSCE countries ask probe into Russia's POW treatment
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China May 22, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Netherlands and 40 other OSCE member states have formally called for an independent investigation into the alledged torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on social media platform X on Thursday. "By invoking this so-called 'Moscow Mechanism', the Netherlands and partnering countries contribute to truth-finding and accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine", he said, without specifing which other countries had joined the request. The OSCE is an organization of 57 countries that includes former Cold War foes the United States and Russia as well as various countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America. (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by GV De Clercq)
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Netherlands with 40 other OSCE countries ask probe into Russia's POW treatment
AMSTERDAM, July 24 (Reuters) - The Netherlands and 40 other OSCE member states have formally called for an independent investigation into the alledged torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on social media platform X on Thursday. "By invoking this so-called 'Moscow Mechanism', the Netherlands and partnering countries contribute to truth-finding and accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine", he said, without specifing which other countries had joined the request. The OSCE is an organization of 57 countries that includes former Cold War foes the United States and Russia as well as various countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America.
Civil.ge
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
126th Ergneti IPRM Meeting
The 126th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held on July 21 in the village Ergneti, near the occupation line with Georgia's Russian-backed Tskhinvali region. The meeting was co-facilitated by Bettina Patricia Boughani, head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia, and Christoph Späti, special representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus. Georgia's State Security Service (SSSG) said it discussed 'all important incidents' along the occupation line since the previous IPRM meeting. The agency said its representatives reiterated their 'strong demand' for accountability in the November 2023 killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi, who was fatally shot by Russian forces during an attempted illegal arrest near the village of Kirbali in the Gori municipality. The agency also said it raised the issue of releasing all individuals held in illegal detention and condemned the continued 'illegal so-called borderization' near the occupation line. It said humanitarian concerns affecting the local population were discussed, with 'special attention paid to the issue of free movement.' The co-facilitators welcomed the 'continued commitment' of all participants to the IPRM format, emphasizing its 'crucial role' in 'addressing security-related developments and finding practical solutions for conflict-affected communities on both sides of the administrative boundary line.' 'The EUMM and OSCE co-facilitators reiterated their concern over the continuous practice of detentions,' a joint statement said. 'They also advocated for enhanced freedom of movement, which would facilitate family visits during the summer.' The discussion also addressed irrigation and wastewater management, with co-facilitators urging 'practical cooperation to ensure sufficient access of the local population on both sides of the ABL to water resources during the dry season.' Both organizations reiterated their readiness to support efforts in this area. The official press release noted that participants acknowledged the EUMM-managed hotline as 'a highly effective tool for establishing a shared understanding of security and humanitarian developments.' Igor Kochiev, the de facto representative of the Russian-backed Tskhinvali region, told journalists following the meeting that the situation along the boundary remains 'stable, calm and predictable.' 'Since the previous meeting, a minimal number of violations of the state border and violations of the republic's airspace by unmanned aerial vehicles have been recorded,' he said. Representatives of the de facto authorities in the occupied Tskhinvali region once again raised the issue of a Georgian police post in the village of Tsnelisi/Uista. Kochiev said, 'The problem is constantly voiced, and the South Ossetian side has proposed withdrawing this post from the territory of the republic.' He added that the removal of the post is the 'only possible solution, including to make life easier for residents living on the right bank of the Lopan River.' The next meeting within the framework of the IPRM will be held on 29 September 2025 . Also Read:
JAMnews
04-07-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
OSCE is calling on the Georgian Dream to release political prisoners and hold new elections
Georgia and the OSCE Portuguese Declaration The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the Portuguese Declaration, expressing concern over developments in Georgia following the parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024. The declaration calls on the country's authorities to fulfill their commitments and support a transparent and inclusive political process that reflects the will of the people. Among other points, the report includes a call for the ruling Georgian Dream party to release all political prisoners and hold new, fair elections, as the 2024 vote was marked by a number of irregularities. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also calls on the new government of Syria to withdraw its recognition of the independence of Georgia's uncontrolled territories and to recognize Georgia's territorial integrity. Key points of the declaration: The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly expresses deep concern over the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on October 26, 2024, during which the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission reported numerous violations in the electoral process; It raises concern about breaches of electoral procedures and the unprecedented use of administrative resources, which undermines the principles of freedom and equality in the electoral process and casts doubt on the results themselves; It condemns the disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters who are firmly advocating for Georgia's European and democratic future; It expresses concern over arrests and politically motivated persecution of journalists, activists, and opposition politicians; It voices disappointment that the Georgian authorities are using all possible means to consolidate power by adopting new laws on foreign agent registration, broadcasting, and grant regulation; It notes that the situation in Georgia continues to deteriorate, with the government moving further away from the path of European integration; It expresses deep concern over the growing anti-EU rhetoric and deems it completely unacceptable; It is extremely concerned that deepening ties with the Russian Federation and China raise alarm in the context of Georgia's declared European aspirations. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly urges the Georgian Dream party to de-escalate the situation and launch a national dialogue with all stakeholders in order to resolve the crisis and restore public trust in Georgian democracy. It calls on the government to respect the rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression and to refrain from using force against peaceful demonstrators, politicians, and journalists. The Assembly also urges the Georgian Dream party to return to the path of EU integration. It reaffirms its support for the pro-European aspirations of Georgian society. The Assembly reiterates its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and calls on the Russian Federation to withdraw its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, to comply with the EU-mediated 2008 ceasefire agreement, and to end the militarization of these regions and efforts to forcibly separate them from the rest of Georgia. News in Georgia
Euronews
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Moscow parade video does not show preparations for attack on Ukraine
Social media users are sharing a video which they claim shows Moscow gearing up for a massive attack on Ukraine, following Kyiv's strikes on Russian military airfields in early June. The posts say that the US has warned European countries about a "disproportionate response" to the air base attack, and the video shows vehicles flying the Russian flag apparently transporting missiles. It also shows people inspecting vehicles. But the video has been miscaptioned — it doesn't show Russia preparing for another attack because the clips actually date back to 2024. We put some stills from the video through a reverse image search, which revealed that it came from a Telegram post published by the Russian Ministry of Defence on 27 February 2024. The post says that the video shows Yars intercontinental ballistic missile mobile launchers being moved through Moscow in preparation for Russia's annual Victory Day parade in the Red Square on 9 May. In fact, a reverse image search shows us that the video was also the subject of misleading claims when it was first published. Various other fact-checking websites debunked misleading claims at the time that the video showed Russia transporting nuclear weapons to use against Ukraine. Russia regularly publishes similar videos of its military arsenal or training exercises without them necessarily being in preparation for an imminent attack. Russia has increased its strikes on Ukraine following the attack on its airbases, known as Operation Spiderweb, including some of the most extensive bombardments of Kyiv since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia has intensified its air attacks against Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, with drones and missiles often hitting residential areas and killing civilians, in addition to military targets. Various international organisations, including the OSCE and the Council of Europe, have condemned the intensified strikes as violations of international humanitarian law. Peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have so far failed to make progress on ending Russia's war.
