WRI Statement

Statement by War Resisters' International

The situation in Egypt is no longer international headline news, and yet the conflicts persist. War Resisters’ International (WRI) expresses our grave concern and sadness about the situation in Egypt today, fearful that the widespread acceptance of the oft-repeated slogan “the army and the people are one” can only lead to greater militarism, violence, and ultimately repression and injustice. We join with many human rights and peace activists the world over in strongly condemning the recent massacres of largely unarmed civilians. This type of state violence often follows the militarization of politics, as armed forces take control of the offices of government and attempt to dismantle civil society.

Eleven years ago, during those 47 hours when a right-wing faction had detained Hugo Chavez and Pedro Carmona had declared himself the new president of Venezuela, one of the first groups to issue a condemnation of the coup was PROVEA, the Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos. At a time when the governments of the USA and Spain had recognised the 'new government', PROVEA - regardless of the risks their own organisation might face - circulated nationally and internationally their denunciation of the coup and their call for respect of the 1999 constitution. The courage and the determination to investigate and state the truth that marked PROVEA's action at that time has continued to characterise its research and reports. It is therefore alarming that Ernesto Villegas, the Venezuelan government minister for Communication and Information, should now smear PROVEA as "the rearguard of fascism" and "accomplices of murder and attacks".

WRI statement on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending

On 15 April there were more than 120 actions worldwide as part of the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, an initiative coordinated by the International Peace Bureau (IPB). The day of action coincided with the annual release of SIPRI's figures on military spending. According to SIPRI, in the last year there was a slight decrease (0.5%) of the world military expenditure. However, China - the second largest spender in 2012 - increased its expenditure by 7.8 per cent ($11.5 billion). Russia - the third largest spender - increased its expenditure by 16 per cent ($12.3 billion). Annual world military spending continues at around $1.5 trillion dollars.

London, Friday, 5 April, 2013

War Resisters' International - an international peace organisation founded in 1921 - is shocked and horrified by the vicious attack last week on Kosovar human rights defender Nazlie Bala. The men who lay in wait for Bala and severely beat her have not yet been identified, but presumably are those who sent her this threat: 'Please do not protect the shame. Otherwise, we’ll kill you.'

New trial for 44 year-old conscientious objector by military court

Statement from 8 February 2013

War Resisters' International, an international network of pacifist and antimilitarist organisations with more than 80 affiliates in 40 countries, condemns the persecution of Pinar Selek.

On 24 January 2013, Pinar Selek, a Turkish feminist antimilitarist campaigner, was given a life sentence by an Istanbul court. The court issued an arrest warrant for Pinar, who is currently living in Strasbourg.

PRESS RELEASE

On Thursday 17th January, War Resisters' International, a global network of pacifist organisations based in London, will pay taxes that have been withheld for five years, under protest to HM Revenue and Customs.

Since 2007, War Resisters' International has been withholding a proportion of PAYE as a form of protest against Britain's military policies - the high level of military spending, the cooperation with criminal programmes such as the "rendition" of suspects, spurious rationales for military intervention, and the development and manufacture weapons of mass destruction and drones for long-distance assassination.

Statement of War Resisters' International

War Resisters’ International, a network of 83 organisations from 42 countries, maintain our founding declaration of 1921 that “War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.” At our 2012 Council meeting in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country, we make the following statement:

War Resisters' International (WRI), the international network of pacifist organisations with more than 80 affiliates in more than 40 countries, calls for an end to the harassment of our affiliate Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) and to the physical attacks on members of GALZ. Furthermore, WRI strongly condemns the violation of basic human rights of the members of GALZ, such as freedom of association, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and freedom from torture and degrading treatment.

Gathering Hosted by War Resisters' International and Ceasefire Campaign

Between the 26 – 30 July in Johannesburg, peacemakers from 12 countries in Africa met to share experiences, and birthed a new, continent-wide African Nonviolence and Peace-building Network. The delegates from over a dozen organizations pledged to intensify coordinated nonviolent resistance from the South to the North of Africa.

London, 26 January 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EGYPT: War Resisters' International welcomes the overdue release in Cairo of pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil

Maikel Nabil Sanad after his 302 days of an unjust detention aiming to suppress criticism of the Egyptian military. Detained on 29 March, Maikel was sentenced in April by a military court to three years' imprisonment for insulting the People’s Assembly, the Shura Council or any State Authority, or the Army or the Courts", and article 102, "spreading false information". This verdict was annulled but a new trial in December, also in front of a military court, sentenced Maikel to two years.

Over 150 peace activist from 17 countries will take action against the military training area NEAT in northern Sweden on Tuesday (26 July).

"NEAT is used by NATO to fine tune their unmanned aircraft for assignations.  They transform murder into a click on a computer screen" said Patrick Sheehan-Gaumer from the USA.