Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

South Korea: Government plans tougher regulations against conscientious objectors

Urgent Action

(17.12.2018) On 13 December 2018, another hearing was held in Seoul, South Korea, on a legislative amendment proposing a so-called alternative service for conscientious objectors. As it turns out, the government does, in fact, provide for stricter regulations that have conscientious objectors serve and live exclusively in detention centers for a period nearly twice as long, viz. 36 months.

Connection e.V. calls to support South Korean conscientious objectors. You can send a protest letter or eMail to the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, and to the Defence Minister, Jeong Kyeong-doo, with this form: https://en.Connection-eV.org/southkorea-form.

Ukraine: Solidarity with Ruslan Kotsaba!

Stop the renewed trial! Demand with us the immediate confirmation of Ruslan Kotsaba’s initial acquittal!

(12.02.2018) Journalist and conscientious objector Ruslan Kotsaba stands trial again in Dolyna on 19 February 2018. He is known for his pacifist appeals against the war in Eastern Ukraine. He also called for a boycott of illegal mobilisation for the so called 'anti-terrorist operation' in Ukraine.

Ruslan Kotsaba was arrested in February 2015 and was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment for obstruction of the Ukrainian armed forces. After only 524 days of pretrial detention he was released by the court of appeal in July 2016.

The country's High Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases decided on 1 June 2017 that the case would have to be reopened. The first court in charge in Bohorodchany declared itself to be biased, probably because of international pressure. Now the court in Dolyna is in charge of the case.

Update 20 February 2018: The court sent the charges to the public prosecutor in Ivano-Frankivsk on application of Ruslan's lawyer. The indictment has not yet met the rules of the code of criminal procedure, so we await the continuance of the proceedings. Ruslan Kotsaba is still free and awaiting the upcoming proceedings. He is thankful for the international support.We will keep you updated.

UN Special Rapporteur emphasises the gravity of human rights violations in Eritrea

A packed international conference took place in Brussels

(23.10.2017) There are “reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity are taking place”, stated Sheila Keetharuth, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea, at a major high-ranking international staffed conference held in Brussels this week. The dire human rights situation in the Horn of Africa nation— including arbitrary detention and extrajudicial executions—has “not improved in essentials”, she emphasised, despite consistent attention in recent years from the UN and human rights agencies.

Worsening situation of Eritrean refugees to be the focus of major conference

High interest at a pre visit in Brussels

(29.09.2017) A major conference is taking place in Brussels on the 19th of October 2017, focusing on the plight of Eritrean refugees. The conference, entitled ‘Eritrea and the On-going Refugee Crisis in Europe,’ will address the changing approach on the part of European asylum authorities, governments and the European Commission towards Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers. These issues will be discussed in the context of the worsening human rights crisis in Eritrea as documented by the UN commission of inquiry and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights is Eritrea. Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth, the UN Special Rapporteur, will appear in the conference as a keynote speaker.