Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Young Syrians flee regime areas for Turkey

(11.05.2021) Dozens of young men from areas controlled by the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cross daily smuggling routes to the areas under the Syrian opposition to reach Turkey and flee to Europe to escape conscription in the Syrian army.

North Korean Youth Find Ways to Dodge Military Service

(11.03.2021) More and more North Korean youth are dodging mandatory military service, because ruling party membership and all its perks are no longer as automatic for those who finish lengthy stints in the armed forces, sources in the country told RFA.

Blackmailing Syrians: Confiscating the Properties of Draft Evaders

(18.02.2021) Statements made several days ago by Brigadier-General Elias al-Bitar, head of the army’s Exemption and Reserve branch, have sown chaos and confusion among Syrians. Syrian men living outside the country and above the age of conscription have been threatened with the seizure of their property, as well as the property of their relatives, if they have not performed compulsory military service.

U.S.: ‘I Ain’t Marching Anymore’

Chronicles 260 years of war resistance and conscientious objection

(19.12.2020) From the American Revolution through the Global War on Terror, author Chris Lombardi tells the inspiring stories of people who refused to kill.