KYIV, 22 April 2014 – OSCE Chief Monitor in Ukraine Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan today called for the immediate release of the head of police of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, who was abducted by armed people yesterday night.

Monitors of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine are in Kramatorsk. The OSCE Monitors talked to witnesses who were able to confirm reports that armed individuals who called themselves supporters of the so-called “Donetsk Republic” entered the premises of Kramatorsk police department and abducted its head Colonel Vitaliy Kolupai who is being kept against his will.

“Coercion against representatives of the state is unacceptable, and I urge for the immediate release of Colonel Kolupai,” Apakan said. “These provocative actions run counter to the spirit of the recent Geneva Joint Statement to restore security on the ground, and can only worsen the existing tensions and contribute to further violence.”

“For any constructive dialogue to be possible, all sides must refrain from steps fuelling confrontation and deepening dividing lines within the society,” Apakan said, adding that representatives of all sides should initiate and conduct a dialogue aimed at de-escalating tensions and finding a lasting solution to normalize the situation.