Russians at conference – “murderers”: protest in front of the OSCE headquarters in the Hofburg in Vienna

The presence of the Russian MPs has been the subject of much criticism for weeks. In his opening speech, Chairman of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) stressed: “We are in complete solidarity with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people!” Sobotka emphasized.

“Moscow violates principle of international law”
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Margareta Cederfelt, called for a minute of silence for the victims of the Russian offensive war in Ukraine and the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. She strongly criticized Russian aggression. Moscow “violates every principle of international law,” Cederfelt said. North Macedonia’s incumbent OSCE Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani also condemned Russia’s “unprovoked attack” on Ukraine in a video message.

Ukraine and Lithuania boycott meeting
Established in 1995, the OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world. The Parliamentary Assembly (PA) consists of 323 parliamentarians from 56 countries. This year’s winter conference takes place on the anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has registered nine delegation members for the meeting, six of whom are on the EU sanctions lists. Ukraine and Lithuania are therefore boycotting the meeting.

However, the Ukrainian delegation has already traveled to Vienna. The head of the Ukrainian PV delegation, Mykyta Poturaev, criticized the presence of the Russians. The Russian MPs would try to use the event “as a propaganda show”. “We have dignity, honor and are not puppets in a Russian muppet show,” Poturaev said ahead of the conference. Criticism also came from the US. Two US congressmen – Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican Joe Wilson – criticized US foreign broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for issuing visas from Austria to the Russian delegation.

State Department refers to the headquarters agreement
In early February, 81 MPs from 20 countries called on Austria to prevent the Russian delegation from attending the OSCE conference in Vienna. Parliamentarians from Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine and Great Britain signed the letter.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refers to the OSCE Headquarters Agreement. This obliges Austria to ensure that members of delegations from OSCE member states are not hindered in their travel to and from OSCE headquarters. “This means a clear obligation under international law to allow the delegates to enter the country,” said a spokesman for the State Department.

“Issuing visas is not a matter of discretion”
The OSCE confirmed this. The Headquarters Agreement obliges Austria to facilitate the participation of the participating delegations, “meaning that the issuance of visas is not a matter of discretion, but a matter of legal obligation,” the meeting said. “The visas issued only allow participation in the OSCE meeting. In case of abuse, the visa will be revoked,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior. Visiting other events, such as the free academic ball, would therefore not be allowed.

The fact that the OSCE does not allow journalists to attend the event in the Hofburg also caused criticism. “This decision was made for logistical and security reasons,” the PV explains when asked. The meeting will be broadcast on YouTube and Facebook. Associations of journalists criticized the exclusion of the media. The Association of European Journalists (AEJ) and the Association of Foreign Press in Vienna warned in a letter to the OSCE that the decision “could seriously undermine freedom of independent reporting”.