Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

South Korea: Mandatory Military Service Frozen at 21 Months

(22.12.2010) The Defense Ministry on Tuesday decided to freeze mandatory military service for the Army and Marine Corps at the current 21 months effective from Feb. 27 next year. The term for the Navy, marine police, and firefighters on active duty will be 23 months, and for the Air Force 24 months effective from early January next year. The step put the brakes on a gradual reduction of conscription from 24 months to 18 months for the Army, 20 months for the Navy and 21 months for the Air Force, which was announced in September 2007.

Colombia: Conscientious objector Juan Diego Agudelo recruited by force

Call to support

(26.10.2010) War Resisters’ International has been informed by its Colombian affiliate Red Juvenil de Medellin about the recruitment by force of conscientious objector Juan Diego Agudelo. Juan Diego Agudelo is a young campesino in the municipality of Andes, a few hours southwest of Medellin. He works on a farm to help support his parents and two little sisters; his father’s income as a day-laborer is not enough to feed the whole family. On 5 September 2010,Juan Diego Agudelo was grocery-shopping for his family in town when soldiers came up to him and asked for his papers. When he told them he did not have his military service booklet, he was pushed into a truck and taken to the 11th battalion of the 4th Brigade. They took away his identification and have still not returned it to him.

"I Would Not Serve in the Egyptian Army and I Bear the Consequences"

Statement of Egyptian conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad

(20.10.2010) Last Monday, 18th of October, I was informed with the final decision by the Egyptian Military Institution to nominate me as a reserve officer for the armed forces. It is supposed that I deliver myself to the recruitment area to where I am included, On next Friday (22nd of October, 2010), to be transferred to the College of Reserve Officers at Fayed ( Ismailia ), to start a compulsory military service for 3 years. I can accept that I would be forced to lose my freedom, but I’m not ready to give it up with my own free will.

Swede jailed for desertion despite end of conscription

(07.09.2010) A 20-year-old Swedish conscript has been convicted for desertion, even though compulsory military service ended in Sweden three months ago. The man, who hails from Halland in western Sweden, dropped out of his mandatory military service last winter after serving for just a few days, the Hallandsposten newspaper reports.