Joint Statement on Russia's Detention of OSCE Officials

JOINT STATEMENT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR JOCELYN KINNEAR UNDER CURENT ISSUE: “RUSSIA’S DETENTION OF OSCE OFFICIALS AS PART OF ITS WAR OF AGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE”

1483rd MEETING OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL

18 July 2024

Mr. Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and my own country, Canada.

Last week, on Friday, 12 July 2024, OSCE official Vadym Golda was “sentenced” to 14 years in prison on charges of alleged espionage, following so-called "legal proceedings" in the Ukrainian territory of Donetsk, currently under temporary occupation by the Russian Federation. He becomes the third member of the Special Monitoring Mission to face such a fate.

Our countries stand together with the Chairpersonship and the OSCE Secretary General in unequivocally condemning the “sentencing” of Mr. Golda, as we have equally condemned the 2022 “sentencing” of his colleagues Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov. The unjust “sentencing” of all three officials, following their arbitrary detention and illegitimate legal proceedings, is unacceptable. This is yet another action taken by Russia in complete contradiction of its commitments under the Helsinki Final Act. All three officials served diligently and professionally in the Special Monitoring Mission at the request of all participating states, including the Russian Federation.

We echo the Chairpersonship and OSCE Secretary General’s concerns regarding their well-being. Their detention and the inhumane treatment which they have suffered are unjustifiable.

The families of the unjustly detained SMM officials live in anguish over their loved ones' fate and desperately seek their release. We join them in their call for their loved ones’ freedom. Their continued detention undermines our collective security, as well as the spirit of co-operation in the OSCE.

The detention of these three individuals is also part of wider pattern of behavior by Russia. The Moscow Mechanism report of April 2024 found that thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been unlawfully detained under the pretense of various unjustifiable accusations, and that many have been subject to torture and other forms of inhumane treatment.

We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease these unlawful practices, to ensure the humane treatment of all detainees and to release unconditionally all unlawfully detained Ukrainian civilians.

 Thank you, Mr. Chair.