Recent CO Action alerts

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The CO-Alert email list is specifically for alerts in cases of conscientious objection or antimilitarist action. CO-Alerts are sent out by email as soon as the WRI office receives information on the imprisonment or trial of a conscientious objector, are a powerful tool to mobilise support and protest. We provide an email contact form, so you can quickly and simply contact the authorities, in support of a nonviolent activist who is facing repression.

In many countries, prison is still the fate of conscientious objectors (COs). Thousands of COs are still in prison -- in South Korea, Israel, Finland, Colombia, and many other countries. Despite many countries having introduced laws on conscientious objection, many COs still face imprisonment, because they either don't fit into the authorities' criteria, or they refuse to perform any substitute service. War Resisters' International supports conscientious objectors who are imprisoned because of their conscientious objection, or face repression by the state or state-like entities.

If you have information about a CO who is facing persecution, a CO-Alert may be a good tool for you to use in their support. Read our 'Guidelines for making use of WRI's email alert system for conscientious objectors', and get in touch with us.

Subscribe to receive CO-alerts through our mailing list info page.

Kimberly Rivera, who was a member of the US military before developing a conscientious objection between deployments to Iraq, has been sentenced to 14 months in military prison for desertion. This sentence is much harsher than others in a similar situation who have not publicly declared their opposition to the war in Iraq.

Kimberly is pregnant and is the mother of four children under 10.

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc was imprisoned today for the ninth time.

19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the ninth time on 18th April, and was sentenced to 20 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

This will bring his time in prison to over 150 days.

You can send a protest email here.

Justin Colby - a member of the US military who developed a conscientious objection during a deployment in Iraq - has been sentenced to 15 months in prison (reduced to 9 months as a result of a plea agreement).

You can send an email asking for Justin to be released immediately here.

Background information

Kimberly Rivera, who was a member of the US military before developing a conscientious objection between deployments in Iraq, has an important hearing on 29th April.

A plea agreement has been reached between Kimberly’s lawyers and the military authorities. A hearing to determine the length of her sentence will take place on 29 April at Fort Carson, Colorado. She has been detained since September last year.

Atamurat Suvkhanov, a conscientious objector in Turkmenistan, has been imprisoned for the second time.

You can send a protest email here.

Background information
Atamurat Suvkhanov is a Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors in Turkmenistan. He has already been sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in December 2004 - on that occasion being released from jail in April 2005 early as part of an amnesty.

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc was imprisoned today for the eighth time. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the seventh time on 2nd April, and was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

He's now spent more than 100 days in prison over the past 19 weeks.

On 27th February, conscientious objector Ali Fikri Işık was sentenced to serve 1 year and 15 days in Edirne Military Prison for 'desertion'. Since 27th February, Ali Fikri Işık has been on hunger strike.

Isik has already served 4.5 months in Edirne Military Prison for 'draft evasion'. He declared his conscientious objection whilst on trial in the military court.

You can send a protest email here.

Background information

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc was imprisoned yesterday for the sixth time. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the sixth time on 10th February at a recruitment centre. He was sentenced to 18 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

His previous prison sentences were 10, 20, 14, 14 and 20 days long respectively.

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc has just been imprisoned - for the fifth time. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the fifth time on 21st January. He was sentenced to 20 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

His first three prison sentences were 10, 20, 14 and 14 days long respectively.

In his refusal declaration Natan Blanc wrote:

Yesterday, Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc was sentenced to a period of imprisonment - for the fourth time in six weeks - for his refusal to join the Israeli military. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the fourth time on Sunday 6th January. He was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

His first three prison sentences were 10, 20 and 14 days long respectively.

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc is currently in military prison 6 in Israel - the third time he has been imprisoned for his refusal to join the Israeli military. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the third time on Sunday 22nd December at the Induction Base in Tal-hashomer. He was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

His first two prison sentences, 10 and 20 days long respectively, were between 20 - 30 November and 02 - 22 December 2012.

Israeli conscientious objector Natan Blanc has been imprisoned for the second time. 19-years-old, from Haifa, Natan Blanc declared his refusal to serve in the Israeli Army for the second time on Sunday 2nd December at the Induction Base in Tal-hashomer. He was sentenced to 20 days' imprisonment for his refusal.

In his refusal declaration Natan Blanc wrote:

Two Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors, Anania Grigoryan and Artsrun Khachatryan, have been imprisoned for 24 and 30 months respectively.

This brings the number of people currently imprisoned for their conscientious objection in Armenia to 31.

Although sentenced in June and July respectively, Anania and Artsrun were imprisoned only after their appeals were rejected (on 15th and 26th of November respectively). They are both imprisoned in Nubarashen prison near Yerevan.

Joonas Norrena, a 20 year-old conscientious objector from Imatra, Finland, has been sentenced to 179 days of home detention for "refusal of conscription" (asevelvollisuudesta kieltÃytyminen) on 26 November 2012 by Kymenlaakso District Court. He had refused to do military service in July 2012 in Vekaranjärvi garrison in Southeastern Finland.

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