Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Greece and Northern Cyprus: No more military courts for conscientious objectors

(12.12.2011) The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection welcomes the recent landmark decision on the case of the Turkish­Cypriot conscientious objector Murat Kanatlı. On December 8 the Military Court in Lefkosa (“northern” Nicosia, Cyprus) accepted the demand of Murat Kanatli to refer his case to the Constitutional Court on the basis of the freedom of thought and expression.

EBCO calls on the Military Court of Ioannina, Greece, to deem itself incompetent on the case of conscientious objector Gerasimos Koroneos in his trial tomorrow. For both Murat Kanatlı and Gerasimos Koroneos EBCO demands the immediate and unconditional end of their persecution.

Europe moves ahead, Greece stays behind

(02.02.2011) In view of the trials of three Greek conscientious objectors in February, EBCO calls on the Greek authorities to stop the continuous persecution of Greek conscientious objectors and fulfil its international obligations by fully respecting their human rights, both in law and in practice. “We strongly condemn the Greek practice of criminalisation of conscientious objection and we are expecting Greece to move ahead in order to meet the European and international standards, not stay behind. It’s simply unacceptable that Greek citizens have to appear before military courts and face prison sentences just because of their conscience”, Mr. Gerd Greune, EBCO President, said today.

May 15, World Conscientious Objection Day

Press Release of EBCO

(15.05.2010) On World Conscientious Objection Day EBCO board held its annual meeting in Barcelona and supported a series of activities organised by EBCO’s Catalan member organisation, Moviment per la Pau (Movement for Peace), to commemorate the anniversary of 10 YEARS WITHOUT MILITARY SERVICE IN SPAIN AND 25 YEARS OF THE MOVIMENT FOR PEACE, a key actor in this process. The representatives of conscientious objectors in Europe were received by the President of the Catalan Parliament Mr. Ernest Benach and held a one day conference in the Open University in Barcelona.

Greece: Women’s, conscientious objectors’ and other anti-war groups target the military budget

Protest against the outrageous war expenditure in front of the Ministry of National Defence, May 9, 2010

(09.05.2010) 65 years since the end of World War II. The wars and the occupations continue. The war expenditure is too high. In the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, humanity is not even close to peace, since dozens of wars are taking place across the planet, and arms sales worldwide increased by 21% over the last five years. While the frugal measures of the government, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union take nightmarish dimensions, condemning millions of people, especially us women, to poverty, unemployment, exclusion and constant stress; at the very same moment of this greatest crisis, small Greece has a grievous record in Europe: it is first in military spending!