UKRAINE-CRISIS/OSCE Protest in Donetsk orchestrated, poses security concern - OSCE

Record ID: 149336

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/OSCE Protest in Donetsk orchestrated, poses security concern - OSCE
  • Date: 23rd July 2015
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (JULY 23, 2015) (REUTERS) MAN ENTERING OFFICE OF ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) OSCE SIGN ON BALCONY DEPUTY CHIEF OF OSCE SPECIAL MONITORING MISSION TO UKRAINE, ALEXANDER HUG, WALKING THROUGH ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY CHIEF OF OSCE SPECIAL MONITORING MISSION TO UKRAINE, ALEXANDER HUG, SAYING: "This morning up to three hund
  • Embargoed: 7th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6PILTKPSC2PL2GO7VUHAHM5JU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) said on Thursday (July 23) that the protest against its monitoring mission in eastern Ukrainian rebel-held city of Donetsk was orchestrated.
    According to the deputy head of the OSCE's monitoring mission Alexander Hug who spoke in Kiev, the crowd was protesting against the deaths of civilians in shelling despite a ceasefire deal and also against the work of the OSCE, which is monitoring the implementation of a peace agreement between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels.
    "This morning up to three hundred civilian protesters have assembled at once in front of our hotel in Donetsk city," Hug said.
    "These were mainly female protesters. They were organised and they were protesting against the war itself, but also against the operation of the OSCE special monitoring mission. In an organised manner orchestrated in front of our hotel the protesters later entered rather aggressively," he added.
    The protesters gathered outside the hotel housing members of the OSCE on Thursday morning. Some were holding posters reading "Your silence kills children!", "While you are living in clover, peaceful civilians are being killed".
    A short distance away from the main gathering some protesters were busy spraying words "DNR" (Donetsk People's Republic) and "Peace" on cars belonging to the OSCE and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
    "The protesters furthermore vandalised our cars. Thirty of these cars were vandalised sprayed upon in the backyard of the hotel. The OSCE special monitoring mission is concerned about this situation and calls upon those in effective control to provide sufficient security for the observers in Donetsk city," said Hug.
    He also condemned the protest as a "type of censorship."
    "This protest is a security concern. And naturally we have to limit our movements during and in the aftermath of such protest. This restricts our ability to monitor, our freedom of movement is restricted and that is a type of censorship of our activity that is not acceptable and is not in conformity with the mandate that was given to us by 57 participating states including the Russian Federation and Ukraine."
    Hug also accused both sides of failing to respect the ceasefire by not fully withdrawing their heavy artillery as required by the peace agreement, which was brokered in February to end a conflict in which over 6,500 have been killed.
    The protest in Donetsk took place several days after renewed shelling of Donetsk had destroyed buildings and started fires in the city. The Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists accused each other of shelling residential districts, the first attack on central parts of the city since a February ceasefire agreement.
    Three Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and over 40 wounded as a result of rebel attacks in the past week, according to Ukraine's military.
    On Thursday separatist officials accused Ukrainian troops of intensifying attacks from heavy artillery on rebel positions, but reported no casualties.
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