Conscientious objection

Last Thursday, in a landmark decision, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ordered the government to introduce alternative service of a civilian nature for conscientious objectors. The court ruled that Article 5 of the Military Service Act (MSA), which fails to provide alternative forms of national service, is unconstitutional and obligated lawmakers to change the law by the end of 2019.

Last Thursday, in a landmark decision, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ordered the government to introduce alternative service of a civilian nature for conscientious objectors.

Human Rights Council, 38th Session, 29th June 2018

Agenda Item 6 – General Debate

Speaker: Derek BRETT

Contact: derek.brett@ifor.org

Last September my organization joined a joint statement under this item drawing attention to the extent to which freedom of religion or belief was under-represented in UPR recommendations.

Connection e.V., Förderverein PRO ASYL, Eritrean Law Society (ELS), Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR), Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA), and War Resisters’ International have published a new booklet, Eritrea: A Country Under the Sway of a Dictatorship. The booklet provides a comprehensive overview of the situation in Eritrea, the situation of Eritrean refugees in Europe and elsewhere, as well as introducing their initiatives and activities.

We are looking to hire a new worker for our Right to Refuse to Kill programme, which supports conscientious objectors (COs) and CO solidarity organisations around the world. The new worker will be based in Colombia, and run the Right to Refuse to Kill (RRtK) Programme alongside the other staff in London. This will include planning WRI’s International Assembly in Colombia in 2019.

Bearing in mind the scandalous fact that despite numerous appeals, Greek authorities have, for several decades, violated the human right of conscientious objection to military service, the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection and War Resisters’ International support the renewed call for a boycott of the Conscience Examination Committee (the special advisory committee which examines applications for conscientious objector status), which has been issued by the Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors.

Download this report as a pdf.

Military service, conscientious objection and related issues

Updated June 2018

Basic Information

HISTORY: Lithuania seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991, and was granted UN membership the same year.

POPULATION (November 2017, estimated1): 2,824,000

The Office of the Chief Prosecution in Diyarbakir, Turkey, has opened an investigation against the co-chair of the Conscientious Objection Association (Turkey), Merve Arkun. The Association has reported that the investigation is due to a press conference they organised two years ago on International Conscientious Objectors Day.

As part of our eCouncil, WRI's Right to Refuse to Kill programme held a conversation with conscientious objectors (COs) in Colombia to hear about their campaign and the situation for COs now. Hear a recording of that conversation in Spanish, or read the transcript in English!

On 15th May - International Conscientious Objection Day - War Resisters' International drew attention to the 250+ young people in jail in South Korea for refusing military service. Hundreds of people sent messages of protest to the Korean authorities and messages of support to conscientious objectors in South Korea!

On 29th May 2018, War Resisters' International and the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection signed a statement in support of conscientious objectors in Greece, supporting their boycott of the 'Conscience Examination Committee'. It reads:

The launch of the Korean version of WRI's book Conscientious Objection: A Practical Companion for Movements was held today in Seoul! It has been published by our affiliate in South Korea, World Without War.

You can read the book in English here. The Spanish edition will be out later in the year!