During September 11, 2001, I was a kid living in the US Embassy compound in Moscow. This is a photo outside of the compound’s walls, where Russians laid bouquet after bouquet of flowers in solidarity after the tragedy. How times have changed.
Filled with inspiration and gratitude for the Ukrainian people after our delegation’s visit to Kyiv with Chairman
@RepJoeWilson
, Ranking Member
@RepCohen
, Commissioner
@RepSpartz
, and Ambassador
@mikercarpenter
. Ukraine fights for all of us. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
“There has to be a line drawn in the sand. Right now Ukraine is fighting for the entirety of the free world … Ukraine needs military aid and it needs it now.” - powerful words from
@OzKaterji
at today’s
@HelsinkiComm
briefing.
“The United States cannot sit back silently while a NATO ally aligns itself with Putin’s Russia under thinly-veiled claims of ‘neutrality,’ and simultaneously dismantles democracy domestically.”
My piece for
@thehill
@TheHillOpinion
on Hungary:
Honored to speak at the
@Budapest_Forum
session on “Arbiters of Truth - Defending the Public from Disinformation through Investigative Journalism, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking,” where I spoke about Russian disinfo and the importance of supporting independent media.
No, Ukraine. Thank YOU for the immeasurable sacrifices and for tirelessly fighting against tyranny on behalf of the free world. Happy Independence Day. 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦
Just your friendly reminder that the Hungarian government *still* hasn't ratified Sweden's NATO bid, and by the looks of this tweet from PM Orban’s political director, they aren't in any rush to do so. Shameless.
‼️Shocking teaching video approved by the 🇸🇪
#Swedish
government attacking 🇭🇺
#Hungary
!
How should we convince Hungarian MPs to back Sweden's
#NATO
membership when our democracy is repeatedly questioned, insulting both our voters and the entire country?
Actions like this will
Grateful to be with
@HelsinkiComm
Commissioners and staff in Prague for meetings with Prime Minister
@P_Fiala
, MFA
@JanLipavsky
, Czech parliamentarians, and civil society. The Czech Republic is an invaluable transatlantic ally and important leader on support for Ukraine.
Important thread on the
@oscepa
Vancouver Declaration, which refers to Russia's actions as genocide; acknowledges Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and Wagner as a terrorist organization; and describes Russia's "violently imperial" and "colonial" subordination of minorities.
❗️
@PM_ViktorOrban
held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The two leaders discussed Hungarian-Russian cooperation in the fields of gas and oil supplies and nuclear energy. During the meeting, PM Orbán stressed the importance of peace. He said that
Thank you
@OneFreePress
for bringing advocacy to these critical cases. Especially note Afgan Mukhtarli in
#Azerbaijan
and Azimjon Askarov in
#Kyrgyzstan
-
#OSCE
participating states - where both journalists suffer from deteriorating health.
Here is the October 2019 list of 10 Most Urgent cases of injustice against journalists, as compiled by the
@OneFreePress
Coalition.
#OneFreePress
(thread)
Democracy faces complex challenges from within and beyond. At the
#BudapestForum
, we'll unite with global decision-makers and experts to tackle these issues head-on! Let's foster cooperation and drive impactful policy solutions for a more peaceful world 🤝
45 years ago today, Congress established
@HelsinkiComm
to reflect the US's commitment to
#security
& cooperation in Europe. Learn about our origins and how the commission helped introduce
#humanrights
as an element of US foreign policy decision-making.
This August, we are highlighting individuals & organizations from
@OSCE
participating States who exemplify the OSCE's foundational commitment to human rights & fundamental freedoms. Today, we applaud Co-chair of
@hhc_helsinki
,
@martapardavi
.
5 days at
#HungaryElections
- Briefings and analyis on campaign finance and media landscape
- Met with media outlets and political parties
- Reported on elections from polling stations and count centre
Full report from
@oscepa
soon
Interim report: 👉
"The United States on Tuesday sharply limited Hungary’s participation in its visa waiver program over security concerns regarding new passports issued between 2011 and 2020. (...) After coming to power in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government implemented a
At
@HelsinkiComm
hearing on domestic press freedom,
@davidakaye
recommends that the USA return to the institutions of global human rights - UN Human Rights Council at a minimum - among other recommendations. See his insightful and impactful testimony here:
It's official! Excited to serve Chairman
@SenatorCardin
and all of our Commissioners in the 117th Congress in the fight to "promote human rights & fundamental freedoms, encourage tolerance within societies, battle corruption, and defend the principles of liberty and sovereignty."
So,
@PM_ViktorOrban
got a Twitter.
Once again, he misses the point that there is only one aggressor in this war. Anyone who is “neutral” has picked a side.
Today, Europe is divided between advocates of war, and advocates of
#peace
. I am firmly on the side of an immediate ceasefire, and immediate peace talks.
TASS just reported that Russia's Security Council pledged to "desatanize" Ukraine. The "desatanization" of Ukraine is becoming increasingly urgent, said Alexei Pavlov, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council, because "hundreds of sects" are now operating in Ukraine.
Open Society Foundations has informed organizations in Hungary that rely on its support that a recent decision by the board effectively puts an end to most of its activities in the EU to dedicate those resources to other parts of the world. w
@kelleralant
The
#exitpoll
from Poland's election shows PiS (37%) winning but with a vote share unlikely to retain its parliamentary majority.
That could open the way for an opposition coalition of KO (32%), Third Way (13%) and The Left (9%).
Confederation has 6%.
Our full report to follow
This is a sad break in the 🇵🇱-🇺🇦 friendship, which has been a symbol of solidarity since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.
Reminder that Poland’s elections are quickly approaching on October 15 and PiS has electoral motivations.
ICYMI -
@OSCE
faces a leadership crisis due to the decision of a few key states (
#Azerbaijan
,
#Tajikistan
,
#Turkey
& others) to block consensus on extending mandates for institution heads. This is a devastating blow to the organization.
Deeply saddened by the passing of our boss, Rep. Alcee Hastings. Mr. Hastings was tenacious in his fight for equality and had an infectious kindness, energy & spirit. He will be missed.
A huge loss for the
@OSCE
. Thank you
@harlemdesir
for your tireless work as
@OSCE_RFoM
, advocating for free media & expression throughout the region.
For my last tweet as
@OSCE_RFoM
, I wish to thank all the courageous,
committed and talentuous media freedom advocates and journalists I had the honour to meet, work with, and defend for the past three years. Keep up the fight ! You are a pilar of democracy. Hope to see you soon.
The blatant suppression of independent media in the lead-up to the
#Belarus
election make this *yet another* unfair, unfree election "win" for
#Lukashenko
Polish society still overwhelmingly supports the Ukrainian war effort, and this has played a central role in motivating pro-Ukrainian policy. But we shouldn’t take that fact for granted.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Victoria in the week since her death. I didn’t know her personally, but I would have liked to. A beautiful writer and voice gone too soon. Russia’s terrorism must not go unpunished. Glory to Ukraine.
It's me in this picture.
I'm a Ukrainian writer. I have portraits of great Ukrainian poets on my bag. I look like I should be taking pictures of books, art, and my little son. But I document Russia's war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems. Why?
#StopRussiaNow
Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with
@RTErdogan
&
@SwedishPM
, President Erdogan has agreed to forward
#Sweden
's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all
#NATO
Allies stronger & safer.
We firmly see an excessive noise in the information sphere in order to cause chaos of narratives for the general public, adds
@jvcwarlick
. Civil society initiatives, like
@Official_NAFO
, could be a promising solution to fight against trolls and
#disinformation
campaigns.
❗️FM Szijjártó stated that Hungary will continue cooperating with Russia in areas unaffected by EU sanctions, especially in terms of energy security.
🛢️He emphasized reliance on Russian partners for gas and oil supplies, while also exploring diversification.
🇭🇺Hungarian
Remembering the journalists and media workers killed so far in Russia's war on Ukraine. These were individuals with rich lives, families, and dreams for the future - taken away because of one dictator's ego & aggression. We are indebted to their service.
#WorldPressFreedomDay
Guess where the
#Hungarian
foreign minister has just landed, probably looking for peace.
(He is actually attending the Russian Energy Week conference, a day after Vladimir Putin gave a speech.)
This wasn't a mistake - Belarus is testing Poland's response by entering its airspace. Tension high with thousands of Wagner troops now on the Belarusian border.
Commissioner
@RepGwenMoore
at
@oscepa
webinar on the gendered impacts of
#COVID19
: “Long-standing inequities are at the heart of why women and other groups are more affected by the pandemic.”
As a
@HelsinkiComm
Commissioner, I am working to better understand how the pandemic impacts the most vulnerable around the world. I discussed COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable women, including women in deep poverty, refugees, and migrants with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
Hey folks, this is one of those announcements:
After a great run at
@IRIglobal
, I am honored to be joining the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe a.k.a.
@HelsinkiComm
. The disappointing news for you is that this channel will continue with bad dad jokes.
.
@pressfreedom
and other civil society groups are holding a candlelight vigil tomorrow night at Saudi embassy in Washington DC to mark one-year anniversary of
#JamalKhashoggi
's murder:
.
@HelsinkiComm
chair
@SenatorCardin
: As friends & allies, we must keep one another accountable to upholding shared values that underpin our relationship, which also form the basis of
@OSCE
commitments.
❗️Just in:
#Hungarian
government is preparing a „sovereignty bill”, which would punish
#journalists
, NGOs, and politicians who „sell the country abroad”.
As the leader of the Fidesz group admitted, it would require modification of both the constitution and the penal code.
.
@camanpour
to
@HelsinkiComm
: To quote Invictus, the favorite poem of your late great colleague Rep John Lewis, our heads are “bloodied but unbowed.” We will keep up this struggle, because we believe that only the strongest, fairest, safest press, can properly underpin democracy.
.
@PM_ViktorOrban
’s political director admits that Hungary is holding up Sweden’s NATO accession because Sweden (like the majority of democratic countries in Europe) has called Hungary out for rule of law and corruption issues.
My question is…where’s the lie?
The Swedish Prime Minister is asking what the Hungarian MPs' problem is.
Let me help you understand with some examples:
3 March 2021 – Ulf Kristersson (then leader of the Moderate Party, now Prime Minister):
“For the EU large parts of the job still remain to break the
Kyrgyzstan journalist Azimjon Askarov “has spent nine years in prison after receiving a life sentence on trumped-up charges because of his truth-telling reporting on human rights violations.”
Kadyrov says, "If we don’t stop — by killing, jailing, scaring — those who violate unity among the people by spreading rumors and discord, nothing will happen."
Outrageous. The Kremlin will undoubtedly stay silent.
Kadyrov recommended “breaking all the world’s laws” in pursuit of eradicating offending comments online while speaking at a Chechen administration session
Daphne Caruana Galizia sent me a text message a few days before she was killed. It read: “I have a sense of time running out … so many things I wanted to do.”
@muscatcar
in today's
@tortoise
Alongside Turkey, Hungary announces vote on Finland’s NATO accession - incomplete without the inclusion of Sweden.
@PM_ViktorOrban
should have done this 8 months ago.
❗️BREAKING - Fidesz Group Leader Máté Kocsis: The Fidesz group supports Finland's NATO accession. The parliamentary vote will take place on March 27.
🇭🇺Hungary's parliament is sovereign and only answers to the people. Therefore, we will not bow to pressure coming through liberal
Belarusians should be free to peacefully assemble and advocate for a brighter future without censorship or fear. All political prisoners should be released.
#StandWithBelarus
Freelancer
@KillerMartinis
permanently blinded in one eye by a rubber bullet in MN;
@MPRnews
journalist tells
@pressfreedom
police aimed a gun to her head;
@DMRegister
journalist
@katie_akin
chased and pepper sprayed by police. Scores of accounts like this. Unacceptable in USA.
Great investigative reporting as usual by
@panyiszabolcs
@VSquare_Project
. Hungary’s relationships with China and Russia need to be exposed, examined, and taken seriously as weakening and destabilizing forces for the region.
US-sanctioned Chinese governor complicit in the atrocities against Uyghurs was received with a red carpet treatment in Hungary - but the visit was also kept secret. This one is from the 4th edition of
@VSquare_Project
's Goulash newsletter. Subscribe here:
The Russian media story of the day: This journalist might get 7 years behind bars for saying government repressions can trigger terrorism. Here's a translation of her statement, which has been published by several leading independent outlets in solidarity:
If Vladimir Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he will not stop there. Every member of the peace-loving international community is at risk of being swept up into this conflict. We must reorder the military capability of the NATO alliance.
Lavrov: "The openly Russophobic policy pursued by Washington" is hindering the development of practical cooperation between the two countries, but Russia and Hungary wants to find solutions to continue cooperation regardless of Western sanctions. Szijjártó: "The War is very bad".
All: Please check out
@AseyevStanislav
's Justice Initiative Fund, an innovative website that offers rewards to those with information on Russian war criminals. You can also donate to the rewards offered.
"In a 2017 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Reilly argued that Voice of America should be an instrument of government diplomacy, not a news organization."
No. In order to be an effective tool of diplomacy,
@VOANews
must be - first and foremost - a credible news org.
New:
@voanews
interim director pushed out by Trump-appointed overseer in last-ditch effort to assert control over news. New director will be conservative writer. Latest from me:
Human rights champion Amal Clooney calls out laws like "criminal libel, vague or overboard hate speech laws, so-called fake news laws, and laws that muzzle the media by imposing arbitrary conditions on ownership, accreditation and funding"
#Slovakia
authorities indicted 4, incl. alleged mastermind Marian Kocner with killing investigative
#journalist
Jan Kuciak & his fiancee in February 2018. Good to see
#Slovak
law enforcement doing their job. We hope they will
#EndImpunity
soon
#Justice4Jan