OSCE SMM Acting Head of Mission refutes claims and denounces persecution of national Mission members, demands immediate and unconditional release of those deprived of their liberty

VIENNA, 25 July 2022 - OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) Acting Head of Mission Antje Grawe today denounced the persecution of SMM's national Mission members, including those deprived of their liberty in non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, refuted claims against them, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

"I denounce in the strongest terms the unfounded claims and fabricated accusations brought against our national Mission members and demand the immediate release of our staff deprived of their liberty in non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. They have performed their duties with dedication and the highest level of professionalism and impartiality, providing objective information critical to the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine," said Acting Head of Mission Grawe.

The OSCE has and will continue to take steps to pursue all available channels to secure the privileges and immunities of current and former OSCE officials.

All OSCE officials are bound by the OSCE Code of Conduct, which stipulates, inter alia, that they shall neither seek nor accept any instructions regarding the performance of their duties from any Government or from any authority external to the OSCE.