Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Vitali Dvarashyn: Gefangen zwischen zwei Systemen

Die Geschichte eines belarussischen Kriegsdienstverweigerers in Litauen

(16.07.2024) Vor einiger Zeit behauptete Litauen, ein sicheres demokratisches Land zu sein, das im Jahr 2020 klar und deutlich erklärte, dass es die unterdrückten Belarussen vor dem Zorn des verrückten Diktators Alexander Lukaschenko retten wolle. Doch dann änderte es seine Meinung. Vitali Dvarashyn ist einer der belarussischen Kriegsdienstverweigerer, die von Litauen verfolgt wurden und werden, und es ist unklar, wie das Ganze enden wird.

Mikita Sviryd: The story of a Belarusian deserter in Lithuania

Stuck between the threat of death penalty in Belarus and illegal refugee status in Lithuania

Mikita Sviryd, a Belarusan deserter who, when the war started in Ukraine, fled illegally to Lithuania because he was afraid that the Belarusan army would go to Ukraine to help Russia. Today Mikita is an illegal refugee, Lithuania has denied the young deserter political asylum. In Belarus, desertion can be punishable by death penalty. Today, he is desperate and expects nothing good in his future. What is for geopolitics the fate of one guy who at the age of 19 decided to give up being a soldier? #protection4Nikita

"You can’t fight your way to peace"

From a 20 y/o Israeli to a 99 y/o Briton, eight conscientious objectors on why they refused to serve in the army

(08.06.2024) Military service for 18-year-olds is a key Tory election pledge in the UK. But in countries with conscription, opting out comes at a heavy cost – ostracisation, fines and time in prison. With Peter Hathorn (South Africa), Einat Gerlitz (Israel), Merve Arkun (Turkey), Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal (Thailand), Bill Galvin (USA), Oleg Sofyanik (Ukraine), Mikita Sviryd (Belarus/Lithuania) and Timothy Tyndall (UK).

War In Europe: What Is Happening To Conscientious Objectors?

Press Release: Publication of EBCO Annual Report “Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2023/24”

(14.05.2024) The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) announces its forthcoming publication of its Annual Report “Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2023/24” on May 15^th, international conscientious objection day. It will be available online on 15 May 2024 on the EBCO website (www.ebco-beoc.org).

For the second year, this report is necessarily dominated by the war in Ukraine, with a large part of the space being taken up with reports of developments in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus and the situation of refugees from these countries. EBCO continues working on the #ObjectWarCampaign, which was jointly launched by Connection e.V., War Resisters’ International (WRI), International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), and European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO).