Sentencing of seven conscientious objectors
Use this form to send the letter below to the relevant authority (Foreign Minister Mr. Vartan Oskanian). 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 Mr. Vartan Oskanian
I am very concerned about the sentencing of seven Jehovah's Witnesses conscientious objectors to imprisonment between 24 and 36 months recently.
In all cases, the conscientious objectors were willing to serve in a genuinely civilian substitute service, and in fact began to serve in December 2004. However, when they realised that their service was in fact under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Defence, they refused to continue to serve.
Although Armenia passed a law on substitute service in 2004, this law does not meet international standards, or the requirements under Armenia's obligations to the Council of Europe. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis said in a speech in Yerevan on 5 November 2007: "The last amendments to the law do not seem to solve the problems raised in respect of the length of alternative service and the arrangements for performing it. As amended, the law still fails to offer conscientious objectors any 'genuine alternative service of a clearly civilian nature'".
I urge you to respect the human right to conscientious objection of the seven recently sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses, and fifteen others still awaiting their verdicts.
I urge you to immediately release all imprisoned conscientious objectors.
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