France, Germany and the UK call for release of three former OSCE staff

France, Germany and the UK have urged Russia to release three former members of the OSCE’s Ukraine monitoring mission, saying their detention violates international law.

In a joint statement delivered in Vienna on 12 November, the countries called for the immediate and unconditional release of Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov. They also asked Russia to provide reliable information about the men’s whereabouts and condition, ensure appropriate medical care and allow regular family contact.

The countries said they understood that Golda had been transferred to a medical correctional facility in Russia’s Tambov region, raising further concerns about his health and treatment.

The Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group reported the transfer on 10 November, citing Golda’s family. It said he last contacted them on 15 October and had expected to be moved on 19 October. The group said the reason for his reported placement in a medical facility, and whether it was connected to his health, remained unknown.

Leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said on 11 November that Golda may have been transferred and that there was no reliable, independently verified information about the three men’s health or conditions of detention. They also called for their release.

The Insider reported that a Russian-installed court in occupied Donetsk sentenced Golda to 14 years on espionage charges in 2024. It said Petrov and Shabanov were each sentenced to 13 years in 2022 after Russia-backed separatists accused them of treason. The OSCE has rejected the allegations.

The men served in a mission established with the agreement of all OSCE participating states, including Russia. On 15 October, OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu said the three had been detained for more than four years and that he was engaging with Russia and Ukraine to secure their freedom.