Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Turkish-Cypriots should urgently have the human right to conscientious objection to military service recognised by law

(25.01.2024) The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), War Resisters’ International (WRI), the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), and Connection e.V. (Germany) denounce the continuing prosecutions and imprisonments of conscientious objectors in the northern, Turkish-occupied, part of Cyprus (the self-styled “Turkish Republic of North Cyprus”). They are clearly blatant human rights violations. The right to conscientious objection to military service should be urgently recognised in line with the European and international law and human rights standards.

Now on the YouTube channel @RefusetoKill: Conversations with the Russian conscientious objectors Danil and Vladimir

"Those who are against the war waged by Putin’s regime should speak out together in public"

(24.01.2024) In October 2023, Connection e.V. interviewed the two conscientious objectors Danil and Vladimir from Russia. The interviews were conducted in Russian and can now be streamed on the YouTube channel (at)RefusetoKill. Both English and German subtitles are available.

Video of the interview with Danil: https://youtu.be/esNiz1bbMCc

Video of the interview with Vladimir: https://youtu.be/2sILReKS4ZI

Ukraine blatantly violates the human rights of peace activists and conscientious objectors

(29.12.2023) The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), War Resisters’ International (WRI), the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), and Connection e.V. (Germany) express their deep disappointment and grave concerns about the continuing harassment of peace activists and conscientious objectors, including arbitrary prosecutions and unfair judgments, as well as the inappropriate provisions of the new mobilization bill No 10378 of 25.12.2023 proposed by the Ukrainian army. All charges against peace activists and conscientious objectors should be dropped, and those in prison should be released immediately and unconditionally, given that they are clearly prisoners of conscience. Moreover, the new bill about conscription should include provisions for the full recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service.

Armenia: Russian conscientious objector arrested by the Russian military and transferred to Russia

(20.12.2023) Uncertainty is spreading in the Russian exile community in Armenia following the arrest and extradition of a fugitive soldier by the Russian military police in the Armenian city of Gyumri. Dmitry Setrakov, 20, had fled to Armenia to live in exile. On 6 December he was arrested by Russian military police and taken to a military prison of the Russian 102nd military garrison. He was initially sentenced to 27 days in detention for unauthorised removal from the troops, but now the Russian military has extradited him to Rostov-on-Don in the southern military district of Russia.