Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Oral statement given at the plenary of the Human Rights Council on the situaton of human rights in Ukraine

UN Human Rights Council, 57th Session

(08.10.2024) Today at the UN in Geneva on the occasion of the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, it took place the interactive dialogue in the plenary on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. On this occasion, Connection e.V. together with War Resisters’ International prepared and delivered in the plenary a statement addressing the situation of conscientious objectors and the prosecution of human rights defender Yurii Sheliazhenko.

TWO YEARS of #OBJECTWARCAMPAIGN

(04.10.2024) Dear everyone, through this information we would like to give you an update about the #ObjectWarCampaign.

We would like to thank you for all the support we have received for the campaign over the past two years. It’s really great. We would appreciate it if you could pass this report to friends and acquaintances who might be interested in this work and the #ObjectwarCampaign as well. Thank you.

Oral statement given at the Interactive Dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation

UN Human Rights Council, 57th Session

(24.09.2024) Today at the UN in Geneva on the occasion of the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, it took place the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. On this occasion, Connection e.V. together with War Resisters’ International prepared and delivered in the plenary a statement addressing the situation of conscientious objectors, forced recruitment and the employment of conscripts in the war. Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International reinforce the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation to the international community to “consider granting protection and asylum to conscientious objectors".

2 years after partial mobilisation: still no asylum for Russian conscientious objectors

(20.09.2024) Even two years after the partial mobilisation declared by President Putin on 21 September 2022, Russian conscientious objectors to the war in Ukraine are generally not granted asylum in Germany. Connection e.V. has now received more than a dozen negative decisions from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The main argument is that there is no ‘real risk’ that they will be called up to fight in the war. ‘These are people who have decided against participating in the war of aggression, which is in violation of international law,’ said Rudi Friedrich from Connection e.V. today. ‘Instead of supporting their decision, they are being ordered to return to Russia. In this way, human resources are supplied to the Russian army.’