On December 1st, Prisoners for Peace Day, we stand in solidarity with conscientious objectors and activists imprisoned for their work against war and its preparations. On this day, we share the stories and names of those detained for their work for peace, human rights, and commitment to nonviolence, and invite you to show solidarity by sending letters to them.
On 28th August 2024, the Colombian government issued a decree establishing an alternative to military service, referred to as Social Service for Peace. This alternative service is part of the current government's broader policy aimed at achieving what is known as “total peace,” following the 2016 peace agreements. Check here some of the general provisions and the issues pointed out as problematic by the Observatory of Militarism in Colombia.
In October 2024, both Croatia and Serbia announced the reintroduction of military conscription. Both countries had previously abolished compulsory military service: Serbia in 2011 and Croatia in 2008. Starting in January 2025, Croatia will require young men to serve for a period of two months, while Serbia plans for conscription to last 75 days.
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected Turkey’s appeal against the conviction as an outcome of Murat Kanatlı’s complaint, a conscientious objector who refused compulsory military service in Northern Cyprus. The ECHR’s ruling, issued on September 24, upheld the violation of rights verdict in Kanatlı’s case against Turkey. Ankara was ordered to pay the conscientious objector 9,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages and 2,363 euros for trial and other expenses.
The number of new criminal cases against conscientious objectors has surged since summer 2024 after the General Prosecutor's Office wrote to local prosecutors. About 300 conscientious objectors now face criminal investigations which could lead – if cases reach court and end in convictions – to a 3 to 5 year jail term.
Russia has started its autumn 2024 military recruitment campaign, aiming to enlist 133,000 men, many of whom are expected to be deployed to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This would be the second routine recruitment campaign since the maximum age was raised from 27 to 30 years.
A recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed that the Revolutionary Youth Movement of Syria is still recruiting children as young as 12. This is happening despite promises from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration to stop the recruitment of children. HRW is urging the SDF and the US, which provides military support to the SDF, to take immediate action to stop the recruitment of children.
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