Cyprus

Executive summary

CPTI (Conscience and Peace Tax International) is disturbed that the
provisions concerning conscientious objection to military service in
Cyprus fall short of the established international standards,
particularly as expounded in General Comment 22 of the Human Rights
Committee and in Resolution 1998/77 and subsequent resolutions of
the Commission on Human Rights.

Particular aspects of concern are:

that the relevant arrangements are not under civilian control
that the stipulated duration of alternative service for consci

The Cypriot Council of Ministers rejected a plan to reduce military service from 25 to 19 months, Cyprus Mail reported on 11 March 2009. The proposal was axed on the basis that the timing is not right for such a scheme, while the Defence Ministry blamed the stance taken by the majority of the parties for the proposal’s failure.

“Due to the stance taken by the majority of the political parties it is very difficult for the Ministry to move forward, because we do not wish to do something with which the political scene disagrees,” Costas Papacostas said according to Cyprus Mail.

In this presentation I will give an overview of the right to conscientious objection, its
legal practices and frameworks in the 27 European Union member states. Before I do so, I want to step back a bit and have a brief look at the existing international standards about the right to
conscientious objection, as these standards allow us to put the practices in the EU member states into a perspective.

European Committee of Social Rights: Conclusions 2008 – Volume 1

(Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy)

Cyprus

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Service required to replace military service

In its last two conclusions (Conclusions XVI-1 and Conclusions 2004), the Committee maintained that that the duration of the service that replaced compulsory military service, generally twice the length

Service required to replace military service

In its last two conclusions (Conclusions XVI-1 and Conclusions 2004), the Committee maintained that that the duration of the service that replaced compulsory military service, generally twice the length of the military service itself, was excessive. The report contains no information on this point. The Committee therefore considers that the situation is unchanged and is still not in conformity with the Revised Charter.

According to a report in Cyprus Mail from 12 August 2008, the Cypriot government is examining to reduce the length of military service from 25 to 19 months.

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.

Almost 15 years after Salih Askerogul refused to perform military service, a new initiative for the right to conscientious objection has been formed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

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75. Compulsory military service for Cypriot men lasts 25 months. A new bill on conscientious objection was tabled in Parliament by the Government on 1 July 2005. The Bill foresees the reduction in the length of service for non-armed service in uniform within army precincts from 34 months to 33 months. For non-armed service without a uniform and outside army precincts, the Bill foresees a reduction from 42 to 38 months.

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CommDH(2006)12

Source: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=984105&Site=COE#P290_45859

Cyprus, a tiny divided island in the eastern Mediterranean is a military minefield. Even after accession to the EU, no country in the world - with the exception of Korea - has seen its territory amassed with such a deadly array of weaponry with possible catastrophic consequences for the inhabitants. 40000 occupying Turkish forces and another few thousand Turkish-Cypriot soldiers face a few thousand Greek- Cypriots conscripts and Greek soldiers, with British troops and bases and a few thousand UN peace keepers guarding the ceasefire line.

Service required to replace military service

In its last conclusion, the Committee considered that the duration of the service that replaced compulsory military service was excessive (Conclusions XVI-1, pp. 98). The report refers in this respect to a document that was to have been forwarded to the Committee by the Ministry of Defence but of which there is no trace. It therefore considers that the situation has not changed.

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Source: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/Conclusions/State/Cy…

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