Conscientious objectors Sahar Vardi, Omer Goldman, Mia Tamarin, and Tamar Katz

Dear Mr Ehud Barak,

I am very concerned about the imprisonment of conscientious objectors Sahar Vardi and Tamar Katz, who were sentenced on 12 October to 21 days, and Mia Tamarin and Omer Goldman (officially called Omer Granot), who were sentenced on 12 October to 14 days. All four are presently serving their sentence in Military Prison No. 400. For all four this is the second prison term, and it is highly likely that they will receive a new prison term after serving the present sentence.
All four refuse to enlist in the Israeli Army based on beliefs and conscience. All four declared their conscientious objection in letters to you or the Israeli Army, and are signatories of the 2008 High School seniors' refusal letter.
All four claim their human right to conscientious objection, as guaranteed by Article 18 of the ICCPR. They now face repeated imprisonment, which is a violation of international legal standards.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in opinion 24/2003 on Israel came to the conclusion that the repeated imprisonment of conscientious objectors in Israel is arbitrary, and therefore it constitutes a violation of 14 par 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Israel is a signatory. The United Nations Human Rights Committee recognised in a decision from January 2007 the right to conscientious objection as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as guaranteed by Article 18 ICCPR. In fact, in this decision on two cases of conscientious objectors from South Korea, the Human Rights Committee stated that not to provide for the right to conscientious objection is a violation of Article 18 ICCPR (see CCPR/C/88/D/1321-1322/2004 from 23 January 2007).
I therefore urge you to immediately release Sahar Vardi, Omer Goldman, Mia Tamarin, and Tamar Katz, and all imprisoned conscientious objectors. I urge you to respect human rights.

Regards,