Advocacy at the UN and much more, February till June 2025
Belarus, Mongolia, Eritrea, United States, Switzerland, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Latvia, ...
(15.06.2025) Zaira Zafarana, international advocacy coordinator of Connection e.V. raised the issue of conscientious objection to military service in different countries by submitting country-based reports to UN mechanisms for upcoming reviews and reporting.
The issue of the right to conscientious objection has been raised as well during the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In particular, Connection e.V., has collaborated with War Resisters International to speak up in the plenary on the situation of conscientious objectors who refuse to engage in the war in Ukraine (you can read the full oral statement here). It has also participated in the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, who presented to the Council her report "Freedom of religion or belief and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". Connection e.V. in collaboration with WRI listed the concerning violations of human rights of conscientious objectors to military service, for instance, in Eritrea, Türkiye, Israel, Russia and Ukraine (you can read the full statement here).
Eritrea
We submitted a report to the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mr. Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, to inform the report of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to the 59th session of the human rights council.
Eritrea does not recognize the right to conscientious objection to military service and many Eritreans flee the country due to a de facto indefinite military service which has a dramatic impact on their life and violates their fundamental right. It is also registered conscription of minor who are also compelled to complete the last year of school in a military camp. It is also ongoing a continual violation of the right to freedom of thought conscience and religion, many religious groups are persecuted and we reported as well on the several Jehovah’s Witnesses who are currently imprisoned in the country because of their refusal to serve in the military and support government initiatives.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/2025_Submission_SR_Eritrea_EN_Connection.pdf
Freedom of Religion and Belief
We submitted a report to the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to inform the Special Rapporteur’s report to be presented at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in October 2025.
The report includes a detailed legal framework of the right and is focused on the issue of international protection for conscientious objectors to military service. It lists several judgements concerning refugees who applied for protection due to the risk of persecution in their country of origin for their refusal to serve in the military and it concludes with proposal to better asset the issue and encourage a positive development to ensure protection.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/2025_Submission_SR_FoRB_EN_Connection.pdf
Connection has also actively participated in the Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, reporting on several countries:
Belarus
(March 2025) The right to conscientious objection to military service is not yet fully implemented. The alternative service continues to be 36 months or 24 months for graduates, while the military service continues to be 18 months or 12 months for graduates, meaning that the length of alternative service continues to be double the length of military service. Furthermore: “Only a limited segment of religious men qualifies for alternative civilian service, while many face criminal prosecution for refusing to join the army”. Additionally, there is not recognition of the right to object for professional soldiers and for reservists.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/50th_UPR-Belarus_EN-Connection.pdf
We also reported on the persecution of human rights defenders such as Olga Karatch who has been advocating through Nash Dom also for the human rights of Belarusians who refuse to join the army and often flee the country seeking protection abroad.
Download of Annex: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/50th_UPR-Belarus_ANNEX-Connection.pdf
An additional joint submission by Our House and others were delivered to the UN Human Rights Council: The submission documents systemic human rights violations in Belarus, focusing on the militarisation of children and youth, and the tightening of the obligatory military service system.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/2025-04-07_Final_Belarus_UPR.pdf
Mongolia
(March 2025) The issue of the right to conscientious objection to military service has never been raised during the UPR of this country so we reported on it suggesting specific recommendations to take all necessary measures to ensure that the right to conscientious objection to military service is guaranteed in law and in practice to all individuals affected by any kind of military service and that alternatives to military service are accessible to all conscientious objectors without discrimination.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/50th_UPR-Mongolia_EN_Connection.pdf
USA
(April 2025) The submission focused on the right to conscientious objection to military service, juvenile recruitment and related issues. These issues are highly important in the case of the United States of America, taking into consideration the size of its armed forces and the frequent involvement in military interventions and armed conflicts abroad. Although the State under review does not currently enforce compulsory military service, the issue of the right to conscientious objection to military service is still valid as far as it concerns professional members of the armed forces who have been enlisted voluntarily.
Currently there are inadequate regulations for conscientious objection for professional soldiers and occasionally result in serious violations of the human rights of conscientious objectors, including imprisonment. One issue is the actual definition of conscientious objection stated by the Department of Defence.
A concerning issue we reported is the juvenile recruitment taking place in the country, considering that it has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, despite numerous recommendations; however, it has ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflicts.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/50th_UPR-USA_EN_Connection.pdf
Türkiye
Türkiye is the only member state of Council of Europe that has not yet recognised the right to conscientious objection to military service. In Turkey, military service is compulsory for all men between the ages of 20 and 41, but for men who do not fulfill their military service before the age of 41, their obligation continues until they do so. There is no mechanism to which conscientious objectors can apply, nor is there alternative civilian service. Although art. 24 of the Constitution protects freedom of the thought, belief and conscience, conscientious objectors are considered as liable to compulsory military service and treated as criminals. They are subjected to repetitive administrative and criminal proceedings and punishments. Conscientious objectors are subjected to severe and repetitive restrictions/deprivations of liberties and freedoms. The European Court for Human Rights stated in its decision Ulke v. Türkiye, that these vicious circles of violations amount to a ‘situation of civil death’
Regarding the UPR of Türkiye which took place in March-May 2025, we did participate in the pre-session and did host in Geneva a small delegation of conscientious objectors, including a lawyer. This has been a really positive opportunity to engage in very specific advocacy initiatives with missions at the UN and to provide chances for the visiting group from CO Watch to connect with other organizations working in Geneva on related issues. We prepared some thematic materials and could take advantage of the presence of the colleagues from Türkiye in Geneva (and the convenient scheduling of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council) to organize a side event during the session of the UN Human Rights Council on the specific topic of CO. We did partner with War Resisters International to organize it and the first-hand experience presented by Huseyin, the Turkish conscientious objector panellist, has been very powerful and impressive on the participants. We had a good attendance with also several representatives of missions at the UN, including Ukraine and Türkiye. We consider this a valuable opportunity we created that has been a success and has also contributed to support the local efforts of our colleagues and to expand their network and possible opportunities also back in their countries with thematic advocacy work with several embassies.
The preparation work for the UPR of Türkiye has also offered the chance to gather more NGOs attention, so much to fund raise and organize a speaking tour for our colleagues while in Geneva, in other cities such as in Switzerland itself and also in Germany and Italy.
We prepared reports as well on countries under review at the UN Human Rights Committee:
Switzerland
(April 2025) The report focused mainly on a. the punitive duration of the alternative civilian service, b. the possible criminalisation / punishment of conscientious objectors who refuse or fail to perform such a punitive and discriminatory alternative civilian service, c. reports that in such cases conscientious objectors are tried by military courts which would constitute a violation of their right to fair trial. We also highlighted the issue of the requirement for an effective remedy for previous violations of human rights of conscientious objectors to military service.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/144th_HRCttee-Switzerland_EN_Connection eV.pdf
Morocco
(April 2025) Compulsory military service has been reintroduced in the country in 2019. The report (contribution to the list of issues) aimed at suggesting questions to be addressed by the Committee to the country during its review, such as requesting information on the current regulations for conscriptions, professional soldiers and reservists.
We also suggested to inquire legislative provisions concerning the right to conscientious objection to military service for any person affected by any kind of military service, including conscripts, reservists, and volunteers / professional members of any kind of armed forces. The actual review will take place around the end of the year.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/144th_HRCttee-Morocco_EN_Connection.pdf
Guinea-Bissau
(May 2025) The state implements conscription and maintains armed forces, therefore, the issue of conscientious objection to military service is relevant. Considering that this will be the examination of the initial report of the State party, it is highly important that the issue of the right to conscientious objection to military service is examined.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/144th_HRCttee-Guinea-Bissau_EN_Connection.pdf
Kazakhstan
(May 2025) The report emphasizes that not only the right to conscientious objection to military service is not recognised in law, but also the actual persecution of conscientious objectors to military service continues effectively until today. We reported on several individual cases registered by Forum 18.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/144th_HRCttee-Kazakhstan_EN_Connection.pdf
Latvia
(May 2025) We reported that the right to conscientious objection to military service is not adequately recognised and implemented by the State party, since there is no genuinely civilian alternative service, the body examining applications is not independent and impartial, and there is no genuine recognition of the right to conscientious objection for professional members of the armed forces. There are also further concerns about the military training of children, including use of weapons, despite the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as concerns about international protection of conscientious objectors fleeing from other countries.
Download: www.Connection-eV.org/ohchr/144th_HRCttee-Latvia_EN_Connection.pdf
European level
Connection is also engaging at the European level and on May 15th, International Conscientious Objection Day, has additionally partnered with NGOs based in Brussels for a social media action to call the European institutions and member states to protect and fully implement the right to conscientious objection and provide asylum to those who refuse war trainings and actions and flee their country because of persecutions.
Zaira Zafarana: International News, February till June 2025. June 15, 2025.
Keywords: ⇒ Belarus ⇒ Conscientious Objection ⇒ Eritrea ⇒ Guinea-Bissau ⇒ Human Rights ⇒ International ⇒ Kazakhstan ⇒ Latvia ⇒ Mongolia ⇒ Morocco ⇒ Switzerland ⇒ Turkey ⇒ USA