Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Protection and asylum for human rights defender Olga Karach

Urgent Action

(25.08.2023) Following the denial of political asylum by the Lithuanian authorities for the Belarusian peacebuilder and human rights defender Olga Karach (Volha Karach), the international campaign #protection4olga has just been launched to demand protection and asylum for the director of the organisation ‘Our House‘. She has been fighting for human rights in Belarus for years, including the right to conscientious objection to military service, and is therefore persecuted and faces capital punishment in her country of origin, where she has been labelled a ‘terrorist’ by the regime.

Germany: Federal Office for Migration rejects asylum for Russian refusers

Russia, Belarus, Ukraine: What about the protection of refusers?

(17.02.2023) In autumn 2022, many German politicians agreed that Russian deserters, draft evaders and conscientious objectors should be protected. But the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is creating other facts. PRO ASYL and Connection e.V. demand clear improvements for conscientious objectors from all sides who do not want to fight in this war.

Expert opininion: Conditions and legal implications of Eritrea diaspora status

(May 2022) PRO ASYL and Connection e.V. have investigated the questions about the prerequisites and resulting legal guarantees of diaspora status and commissioned an expert opinion from Dr. Rezene Mekonnen and Amanuel Yohannes, proven experts on the Eritrean legal system. This is now available.

The experts come to the conclusion that diaspora status is only granted to those who have a secure residence abroad. If the German Federal Office of Migration revokes refugee recognition, the persons concerned cannot be granted diaspora status at all. So far, the Federal Office has ignored this question in its decisions.

Broad alliance calls for protection/asylum for deserters and conscientious objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

(29.03.2022) In a joint appeal to the German parliament, a broad civil society alliance calls on the Bundestag and the German government to grant protection and asylum to Russian and Belarusian as well as Ukrainian conscientious objectors and deserters. Germany and all other EU countries must take in these people fleeing the war effort without red tape and allow them a permanent right to stay - and also ensure that the human right to conscientious objection is recognised.