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Four OSCE observers who were abducted on May 26 by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have been freed and have arrived at a hotel in Donetsk, a separatist leader said.
“They have been freed without conditions. They are a Dane, a Turk, a Swiss national and I believe an Estonian,” said Alexandre Borodai, the “prime minister” of the self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk, which has declared independence from the Kiev government after a disputed referendum
He said they had been held by a rebel chief in the neighbouring restive region of Lugansk.
The four observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe appeared tired and tense and they declined to speak to journalists in Donetsk.
“We are happy at the return of four members of the mission who have been absent for 31 days,” said Mark Etherington of the OSCE mission in Ukraine.
“We are still very worried about the fate of four other colleagues,” he added, referring to a second OSCE team held since May 29 somewhere in east Ukraine by the pro-Moscow separatists.
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