Right to Refuse to Kill

On 5th April, Thai conscientious objector and human rights activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal declared his conscientious objection in front of a military conscription centre in Samut Prakarn province, openly stating his beliefs instead of complying with a call-up. Connection e.V., War Resisters’ International, the Movement for Conscientious Objectors, Conscientious Objection Watch, New Profile and World Without War are calling for conscientious objection to be fully recognised in Thailand.

In February 2024, the military regime ruling Myanmar announced that it was mobilizing a “People’s Military Service Law”. The law allows for the conscription of male citizens aged 18 to 35 and female citizens aged 18 to 27. The announcement has caused fear and loathing among the country’s 14 million young people and their families.

Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) continues to reject Russian refusers and obliges them to return to Russia. Connection e.V. and PRO ASYL are alarmed by the BAMF’s reasoning, which ignores the risk for Russian refusers of being recruited in a war that violates international law.

On 7 February, Yerevan's Criminal Court of Appeal rejected 20-year-old Baptist conscientious objector Davit Nazaretyan's appeal against a two-year jail term imposed in October 2023 for refusing military service. The judges ignored European Court of Human Rights judgments, including against Armenia. Nazaretyan's applications for alternative civilian service were repeatedly denied. He is considering a further appeal and will not be required to go to jail until any further appeal is heard. The last known jailed conscientious objector was freed in 2021.

Yesterday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a draft amendment to the law on military service in its first reading that will change recruitment practices in the country. Connection e.V. and DFG-VK oppose this tightening and call on the Ukrainian government and the European Union to ensure the protection of conscientious objectors.

On Thursday (1st February), conscientious objector Halil Karapaşoğlu from North Cyprus (self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) was on trial at the Security Forces Court in the northern part of Nicosia for his refusal to respond to the reserve call. Halil's case has been postponed to 14th March, 2024.

EBCO, WRI, IFOR, and Connection e.V. 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”). The right to conscientious objection to military service should be urgently recognised in line with the European and international law and human rights standards.

Conscientious objector Mustafa Hürben from North Cyprus was imprisoned on Tuesday (23rd January) for his refusal to participate in the reserve service.

On Tuesday, 23rd January, conscientious objector Tal Mitnick, 18, from Israel was imprisoned again for his refusal to serve in the military. This is Tal’s second imprisonment and he was sentenced to 30 more days in military prison. He will have spent 60 days behind bars in total upon completion of his second term in prison.

On 18th January, Thursday, conscientious objector Mustafa Hürben from North Cyprus (self-declared “Turkish Republic of North Cyprus [TRNC]”) will be on trial due to his refusal to participate in the reserve service. 

EBCO, WRI, IFOR, and Connection e.V. 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.

On December 26th, Tal Mitnick, an 18-year-old from Tel Aviv, became the first Israeli conscientious objector imprisoned for their refusal to serve in the army since the start of the war in Gaza. Mitnick declared his conscientious objection at the Tel Hashomer recruitment center and subsequently received a 30-day sentence in military prison.