Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Turkey: Protection from Afar

How to Support People in Turkey and Visitors to Turkey in Cases of Persecution and Arbitrary Arrest

(02.09.2020) This booklet provides insights and advice about how to respond to cases of persecution and/or threats to the safety and security of human rights defenders. It also speaks to those issues as they apply to other nonviolent activists in Turkey and to people who are not politically organized.

Protective accompaniment from afar means providing protection without being physically present in the country. It looks at what local people can do – particularly activists or friends of the persecuted. And it looks at what international supporters can do to help them.

Available: order the printed version, download pdf-file or eBook

South Korea’s Conscientious Objectors Are Getting an Alternative to Military Service

(09.07.2020) For the first time, there is a official path for those who have religious or moral objections to South Korea’s mandatory military service for men. On June 30, South Korea officially began taking applications from conscientious objectors for alternative service to the country’s mandatory military service for all men. Instead of serving around two years in the military, men can now apply for the new alternative service — working for three years in prisons or detention centers.

Eritrea: Cooperation with the wider Eritrean democracy movements recommended

Intergroup discussion on Eritrea in the Bundestag

(29.06.2020) On 25 June 2020, a public intergroup zoom discussion was held at the invitation of Rudi Friedrich (Connection e.V.) and Kathrin Vogler (MdB, Die Linke). Several experts as well as members of the German parliament parties SPD, FDP and the parliamentary group Bündnis 90/Die Grünen took part in the discussion. More than 60 persons from about 10 countries were following the discussion.

Amnesty International Greece: One idea, different messages from Eastern Mediterranean

Video on YouTube channel Refuse to Kill

(17.05.2020) Gina, Costas, Dimitrakakis, Murat, Hüseyin, Merve, Hillel and Yuval are speaking about their conscientious objection in both part of Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Palestine and Greece.