Editorial

Dear readers of CO-Update.

This is the first issue of CO-Update in 2012, and it comes a little late - apologies.

In this issue we report on the outcome of a recent meeting in Turkey, to discuss the situation of conscientious objectors and to co-ordinate strategies around the right to conscientious objection. The meeting was overshadowed by the arrest of Halil Savda, who was supposed to join the meeting, just one day before. He is now serving a prison sentence for "alienating the people from military service" (Article 318 Turkish Penal Code) - one of the issues discussed at the meeting.

Since the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Bayatyan v Armenia from 7 July 2011, the court has now consolidated its jurisprudence with four more judgments - two more against Armenia, and two against Turkey. This highlights the importance of the Bayatyan v Armenia judgment, in which WRI's joint third party intervention with other organisations played some role.

To continue to do this work War Resisters' International depends on your donations. We therefore kindly ask you to donate to WRI online at wri-irg.org/en/donate-en.htm.

Andreas Speck