WRI Statement

The War Resisters' International (WRI), an international network of 82 affiliates in 43 countries, including Greece, condemns the terrifying attack on its associate, Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors.

The War Resisters' International Council meeting in Bilbao (29-31 October) was extremely concerned about the situation of war and general insecurity in eastern Congo (Kivu provinces and Ituri region), and warns against the deployment of more troops in the area.

Since August 2008, the situation has been worsening as a result of the renewed activity of different armed militias and daily military confrontations with the FADRC (governmental armed forces) and the UN force MONUC. The suffering of the local population is extremely hard, and at least 200,000 people have been displaced.

Statement of the War Resisters' International Executive Committee

War Resisters' International is very concerned about the death threats received by its Colombian affiliate Red Juvenil de Medellin. Last week, Red Juvenil received death threats in the name of "Aguilas Negras" (Black Eagles) [1], a name widely used by groups of supposedly demobilised paramilitaries.

Representatives of conscientious objection and human rights organisations from several European countries, meeting in Athens over the weekend, call for Greece, Cyprus and Turkey to recognise the right to conscientious objection according to European and international standards.

Statement by Latin American antimilitarists

We don't need another war. We, conscientious objectors and antimilitarists from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and all Latin America and the Caribbean, united, emphatically refuse a military escalation leading to a war that, once more, will try to divide us. With hunger, corruption, extreme militarism, shameless military spending, civil insecurity, the continual assault on human rights by our governments, we already have enough without being given another armed conflict.

On 5 February in Prishtina, Kosovo, nonviolent activist Albin Kurti faces the fifth hearing in a trial where he is charged with "attempting to cause general danger and/or large-scale property damage", obstructing official persons in performing their duties, and inciting people to break a police cordon.

Call for Lebanon negotiations

We have learned that Israel's massive bombing of Lebanon has now escalated into a full invasion, at the cost of (so far) hundreds of lives, most of them Lebanese.

The council meeting of War Resisters' International in Seoul, Korea 30 June - 2 July 2005 demands the immediate release of conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan and the full recognition of his right to consceintious objection. Mehmet Tarhan is a well known activist on issues of antimilitarism and gay rights in Turkey. He was arrested on April 8th, 2005, on the grounds he was a "roll call deserter".

The War Resisters' International Council Meeting in Seoul, Korea 30 June - 2 July 2005 demands that the Finnish government change its current stand of ignoring the demands of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC). No person should be imprisoned or otherwise punished based on his or her convictions, and one of the most evident such cases is that of refusing to learn how to kill other people. Finland has for too long evaded its responsibility to grant its citizens full rights of conscientious objection.

Amnesty International, European Bureau for Conscientious Objectors and War Resisters' International

"It is high time the Greek authorities respect and comply with European and international standards and recommendations and put an end to all prosecutions, imprisonments and violations of the human rights of conscientious objectors” the three international organisations stated today, condemning in the strongest terms the recent wave of sentences against conscientious objectors in Greece.

The War Resisters' International - an international pacifist network with affiliated groups in about 40 countries countries - was horrified to learn of the torture, killing and mutilation of Luis Eduardo Guerra and seven of his companions, including three children, from the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó. Horrified, but - unfortunately - not surprised.

Support to Israeli conscientious objectors is needed War Resisters' International Executive, 23 February 2003

The Executive Committee of War Resisters' International, the 81-year-old international network of pacifist organisations with 90 affiliates in 45 countries, expressed its grave concern about the situation of conscientious objectors to military service in Israel during its Executive meeting in London this weekend.