Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Syria: ECJ strengthen conscientious objectors in asylum cases

(19.11.2020) The European Court of Justice decided, that in the context of the civil war in Syria, there is a strong presumption that refusal to perform military service there is connected to a reason which may give rise to entitlement to recognition as a refugee

In a number of situations, such refusal is an expression of political opinions or of religious beliefs, or is motivated by membership of a particular social group.

ECtHR judgement on Russian CO case disregards 53 years of international human rights standards

(29.10.2020) On the 7^th of September 2020 the Grand Chamber panel of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request to refer the case of Dyagilev v. Russia (no. 49972/16) to the Grand Chamber, thus rendering the judgement of 10 March 2020 final. In this judgement, by majority of four (4) to three (3), the European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), found that there has been no violation of article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights in the case of conscientious objector (CO) Maksim Andreyevich Dyagilev, whose application for CO status and alternative civilian service had been dismissed by a military recruitment commission, and subsequently by courts.

Turkish actress jailed for role in play supporting conscientious objector

(01.02.2019) A Turkish actress has been sent to prison for five months for “alienating the public from military service” after acting in a theatre adaptation of Russian author Nikolai Gogol’s short story “The Overcoat,” Turkish news site T24 reported on Thursday.

Turkmenistan: New year, new jailed conscientious objector

12 conscientious objector are now jailed

(22.01.2019) With the 7 January one-year jailing of 18-year-old Azamatjan Narkulyev, 12 conscientious objectors – all Jehovah’s Witnesses - are now jailed for refusing compulsory military service on grounds of conscience. No officials would comment on why, in defiance of United Nations calls, Turkmenistan jails these young men.