Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Oral statement delivered during the interactive dialogue with the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus

UN Human Rights Council, 57th Session

(23.09.2024) 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 Group of Independent Experts on Belarus. On this occasion, Connection e.V. together with War Resisters’ International prepared and delivered in the plenary a statement addressing the repressions of grass-roots civil society organisations and the stigmatisation and humiliation of conscientious objectors to military service. Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International urge Belarus to respect the human right to conscientious objection to military service and call on the other Member states to grant asylum to those seeking protection abroad.

Hundreds of Israeli soldiers refuse to serve in Gaza

Newsletter of the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN)

(22.09.2024) In the past few weeks we are seeing an unprecedented wave, hundreds of soldiers that are refusing the war in Gaza. Such waves ended Israeli wars against the Palestinians at least twice in the past.

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.’

Oral statement on the human rights of conscientious objectors and to conscientious objection and asylum

UN Human Rights Council, 57th Session

(20.09.2024) This morning, Zaira Zafarana, Connection’s international advocacy coordinator, delivered an oral statement on behalf of WRI and Connection e.V. in the plenary of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva during the General Debate on Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. She focused on the human right of conscientious objection to military service and specifically on the OHCHR thematic report presented to the Council during the last session and on the UNHCR Guidelines on International protection which clarify that conscientious objectors who are at risk of persecutions in their country of origin qualify for refugee status.