* OSCE mission in Croatia successfully fulfilled

VIENNA, 15 December 2011 – The 56 OSCE participating States welcomed today the success achieved by the OSCE Office in Zagreb in fulfilling its mandate as well as the progress made by the host country, and decided after 15 years of OSCE field presence in Croatia to close its Office in Zagreb by the end of this year.

The OSCE Office in Zagreb was mandated by the OSCE Permanent Council to monitor and report on domestic war crimes proceedings and to support the country’s authorities to enable the people who were displaced during the war to return to their homes. The Permanent Council agreed today in Vienna that the mandate had been fulfilled. The office will end its work on 31 December 2011.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, welcomed the decision and congratulated Croatia on its progress that has led to the completion of the OSCE presence’s activities.

“In the last 15 years the OSCE has provided support in democratization, protection of human and minority rights, refugee return, war crimes processing, media freedom and to civil society,” said Ažubalis. “Croatia has taken advantage of the OSCE presence for the benefit of its citizens and institutions. This was also recognized last week by the EU as the country signed a treaty to become its newest Member State. As Croatia made progress, over the years the OSCE was able to scale down its engagement. Croatia’s success is also our success.”

The OSCE opened its first field presence in the country, the Mission to Croatia, in April 1996, which at its peak had almost 800 staff members and which was closed at the end of 2007 after successfully completing most of its mandate. The remaining tasks were taken on by the OSCE Office in Zagreb, currently with 19 staff members, which officially began work on 1 January 2008 and will close on 31 December 2011.

"It is a great credit to the government and people of Croatia, and to the dedicated OSCE staff who have worked in the country over the past 15 years, that we are able to mark the successful implementation of the Office’s mandate. This is an excellent example of how the OSCE can support its participating States in achieving reforms and ensuring sustainable security," said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.

“Today’s decision by the OSCE Permanent Council is exceptional - a decision is normally only required to extend the mandate of a field operation and this agreement by the 56 participating States recognizes our common achievements,” said Ažubalis.

The OSCE will continue to work with the Croatian authorities and NGOs to enhance their capacities on monitoring of war crimes proceedings.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/cio/86290

* Kyrgyz Supreme Court must act on reported fair trial violations in Askarov case, ODIHR delegation says

BISHKEK, 16 December 2011 – After visiting prominent human rights defender Azimjan Askarov in prison, a delegation from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today urged Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court to take fair trial violations and indications of torture into account when reviewing the case of Askarov and other defendants convicted in relation to the June 2010 violence in the south of the country.

“We strongly hope that the Supreme Court, as the country’s top judicial oversight body, takes action to prevent what could amount to a major miscarriage of justice,” said Assia Ivantcheva, the deputy head of ODIHR’s human rights department and head of the delegation.

Observers of the first and second instance trials, including from the OSCE, reported serious violations of fair trial standards, such as over-reliance on police evidence, and the failure of the authorities to adequately address the intimidation of defence witnesses and lawyers, to consider exculpatory evidence, and to effectively follow-up on visible signs of torture.

Askarov, who worked with ODIHR on detention monitoring projects in southern Kyrgyzstan and has on many occasions spoken out against police brutality, was convicted to life imprisonment and confiscation of his property on charges of organizing mass disorder, inciting inter-ethnic hatred, hostage-taking, and incitement to murder.

Askarov told the delegation that he hopes that justice will be delivered in his case.

“With Kyrgyzstan’s new leadership committing itself to pushing ahead with judicial reform, the resolution of this case in line with fair trial standards and the country’s obligations as an OSCE participating State would send an important signal,” said Ivantcheva.

Earlier this week, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Méndez, visited Askarov in prison and expressed concern about the denial of justice in this case.

As a participating State of the OSCE, Kyrgyzstan is bound by international fair trial standards as enshrined in OSCE commitments and is obliged to take effective administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent and punish torture and ill-treatment.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/odihr/86323

* OSCE media representative alarmed by killing of Russian journalist, calls for action to protect media professionals

VIENNA, 16 December 2011 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, condemned today the killing of journalist Khadzhimurad Kamalov in Russia’s southern republic of Daghestan and urged the authorities to ensure the safety of all media professionals working in the region.

The founder of the independent Chernovik weekly, Kamalov was shot dead on the night of 15 to 16 December near the newspaper’s editorial offices in Makhachkala and died on his way to hospital. Law enforcement agencies have opened a murder investigation and police have launched a search for the killer and possible accomplices.

“I am alarmed by this murder, which targets a newspaper known for its investigative reporting,” Mijatović said.

Two years ago, Kamalov and several other media professionals were threatened with death by the authors of anonymous leaflets that circulated in Makhachkala.

“Daghestan and the Northern Caucasus are known to be among the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. I am confident that the Russian authorities will not only investigate Kamalov’s killing and bring the perpetrators to justice but they will also take pre-emptive measures to ensure that journalists working in the region can carry out their professional duties safely and without fear. My Office is ready to support the Russian authorities on this and other media freedom related issues,” said Mijatović.

Mijatović extended her condolences to Kamalov’s family, friends and colleagues.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/fom/86325