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GERMANY: total objector Malik Sharif again sentenced to 21 days of arrest

Concodoc 01/04/02 12:51

GER11620-040102
4 January 2002
follow-up on GER11620-221101, GER11620-051101, GER11620-061101

GERMANY: total objector Malik Sharif again sentenced to 21 days of arrest

Yesterday German total objector Malik Sharif was again sentenced to 21 days of arrest, bringing the total up to 77 days of arrest. Malik Sharif was supposed to begin his military service on 1 November 2001, and presented himself at the military barracks on 3 November, and refused to obey any orders since. He was immediately taken into arrest - so far a total of three arrests totalling 56 days.
It is normal practice in Germany to arrest total objectors for a total of 63 days. In the case of Malik Sharif, the German army exceeds this normal limit. This means that Malik Sharif will have spent a total of 77 days in a cell of six square meters.
After serving his fourth arrest, Malik Sharif will be discharged from the army, and will be tried in a criminal court for "disobeying orders", which carries a maximum sentence of 3 years.

In theory, military arrest shouldn't be a punishment, but a "disciplinary measure". It is supposed to promote the "willingness" to "fulfill military duties". As 56 days of arrest couldn't achieve this, the new arrest clearly needs to be seen as a punishment, which is illegal.

War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to Malik Sharif:

Malik Sharif
im Arrest
8./Sanitaetsregiment 6
Freiherr-von-Fritsch-Kaserne
Birkenweg 10
25524 Breitenburg
GERMANY

War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to military commanders, and to German embassies abroad.

Kompaniechef Hauptmann Bernd Gräwe
8./SanRgt 6
v.-Fritsch-Kaserne
Birkenweg 10
25524 Breitenburg
Tel.: +49-4826-37-4280/81
Fax: +49-4826-37-4283

Regimentskommandeur
Oberfeldarzt Hohmann
Sanitätsregiment 6
Fax: +49-4826-37-4295

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of total objector Malik Sharif, and all imprisoned conscientious objectors.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International

War Resisters' International
Conscientious Objection and Conscription Documentation Centre 5 Caledonian Road * London N1 9DY * Britain Tel.: +44 20 7278 4040 * Fax: +44 20 7278 0444 Email: concodoc@wri-irg.org * http://wri-irg.org