Right to Refuse to Kill

In December 2020, War Resisters' International has submitted a report to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section (IPMS), providing information on discrimination against conscientious objectors.

Arrested in December 2020, 20-year-old conscientious objector Ruslan Artykmuradov is awaiting trial in prison for refusing compulsory military service. He offered to do an alternative civilian service, but Turkmenistan does not offer this, despite repeated United Nations calls.

Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (UPM) released a statement informing that Ruslan Kotsaba, a journalist and pacifist from Ukraine, will be tried again for a video he posted in 2015 in which he was calling to boycott mobilisation for armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

Next Tuesday, 1st December, is Prisoners for Peace Day, a chance to show solidarity with conscientious objectors imprisoned for their refusal to take up arms, and those activists imprisoned for their resistance to war and militarism. 

Find a list of prisoners for peace here. You can download a pdf copy here.

A list of some of those currently in prison for their work for peace. Write to them on 1st December, Prisoners for Peace Day, help us grow our solidarity!

Israeli conscientious objector Hallel Rabin, 19, was imprisoned again last week, following her refusal to serve in the military. This is Hallel's fourth imprisonment and she was sentenced to more 10 days in military prison. Hallel has already spent 40 days behind the bars in three separate terms.

On the 7th of September 2020 the Grand Chamber panel of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request to refer the case of Dyagilev v. Russia (no. 49972/16) to the Grand Chamber, thus rendering the judgement of 10 March 2020 final.

On 29th October, War Resisters' International (WRI), European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) and Connection e.V. released a statement on a problematic judgment by the European Court of Human Rights on the case of a Russian conscientious objector, Maksim Andreyevich Dyagilev.

Rustamjon Norov, a 22-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Tajikistan, is imprisoned and facing prosecution for refusing compulsory military service on grounds of conscience. He faces two to five years' imprisonment if convicted.

Israeli conscientious objector Hallel Rabin, 19, was imprisoned for her refusal to serve in the army. On 19th October, Rabin was sentenced to 25 days in military prison. This is Rabin’s third imprisonment, adding to 15 days she already spent behind bars. Write to the Israeli authorities here demanding Rabin's immediate release. 

The conscientious objector K.K., whose 2003 application for CO status and to perform an extremely punitive alternative civilian service of 30 months (instead of 12 months of military service) had been rejected by the Minister of National Defence, as well as his appeal by the highest administrative court, and who was facing trial by military court at the age of 45 for insubordination, was finally acquitted.

A 45-year-old conscientious objector who, 17 years ago, had applied and was denied to perform an alternative civilian service of 30 months (instead of 12 months of military service), is summoned to trial by a military court on October 26th, 2020.

K.K. had applied for CO status for ideological reasons and to perform the then extremely punitive alternative civilian service, back in 2003. His application was rejected in 2004 by the Greek Minister of National Defence, after recommendation of a 5-membered special committee which by that time included 2 military officers.