Release conscientious objector Justin Colby
Use this form to send the letter below to the Fort Carson Public Affairs Officer. You can add your own notes in a separate box after the standard text, if you wish. You must include a name, address, and email address; a copy will be sent to you with a cc to the WRI office (so we have a record of how many email letters have been sent out for this particular case).
Dear friend,
Justin Colby is a conscientious objector who is currently detained by the US Military. He was sentenced to 15 months in confinement (reduced to 9 through a pre-trial agreement), a bad conduct discharge, reduction to the lowest rank (E-1) and loss of all pay allowances. Justin Colby was humiliated and punished by a commanding officer when he asked to apply for conscientious objector status. He went AWOL because he refused to be deployed a second time to Iraq, and fled to Canada in 2006.
The right to refuse to perform military service for reasons of conscience is part of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as recognised in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States of America is a state party.
This includes those who have joined the armed forces voluntarily, since the freedom to change one's religion or belief is recognised in Article 18 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This was also specified in the Human Rights Committee General Comment 22, paragraph 5.
I urge you to immediately release Justin Colby.
Yours sincerely,
- Sign and send this protest email