"Unprecedented Verbal Attacks"

The OSCE Office of the Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) has lately been subject to "unprecedented verbal attacks" from the Belarusian authorities, Belapan reported on 11 October, quoting ODIHR spokeswoman Urdur Gunnarsdottir. According to Gunnarsdottir, the authorities seek to damage the credibility of the ODIHR observation mission's assessment of the upcoming polls in the country. Earlier the same day, the ODIHR observation mission issued a statement in which it expressed concern over "sustained negative and aggressive comments in the Belarusian state media and from state officials." The mission also expressed concern about "repeated claims that the work of its long-term observers and core team analysts lacks transparency." "The visibility and frequency of these baseless allegations are unprecedented from the side of a host state towards an OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission," the statement said.