BELARUS:COs stand show trial

In Belarus, a law enabling alternative civilian service for religious COs is due to come in to force on June 1st 2016, but that has not stopped the army from continuously calling up COs to attend military service. Lately, two Jehovah Witnesses, Dmitry Chorba and Viktor Kalina, have been tried in “show trials”, as well as another 5 young men who chose not to go to the army for non-religious reasons. Their hearings took place in front of a selected audience of final year students from a nearby school and newly called up young men who have doubts regarding military service, thus, to deter other young men from refusing military service.

Sources:
Forum 18, BELARUS: Why does government still try to conscript conscientious objectors?, 27 October 2015Forum 18, BELARUS: Orthodox Archbishop denied entry, another conscientious objector show trial, 24 september 2015Forum 18, BELARUS: Criminal trial of conscientious objector a show trial?, 26 August 2015