CO-Update

This is the last issue of co-update for 2007 - we will be taking a break in December, due to staff holidays, and will be back in January 2008.

This issue includes information on two countries of major concern in Europe: Turkey - also the focus for our Prisoners for Peace Day - and Armenia. In both cases the Council of Europe puts pressure on the respective governments, but so far with little positive outcome.

In addition, we look beyond Europe.

A solution for Osman Murat Ülke and other conscientious objectors?

The Council of Europe has increased its pressure on Turkey in the case of conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke. Osman Murat Ülke declared his conscientious objection and burned his call-up papers on 1 September 1995 in Izmir. He was arrested more than a year later - on 7 October 1996 - on charges of Article 155, "alienating the people from the military".

The lack of progress in Armenia has been reported several times in co-update. During a visit to Armenia, Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said in a speech at the Yerevan State University: "There are two more items on the list of areas where we would all like to see further progress: the penitentiary system and what is known as the alternative service for conscientious objectors. [...]

As for alternative service, we are neither here or there.

The following news piece slipped through our net when it was first published. The BBC reported on 20 July 2007 that Uganda plans to implement its conscription laws.

According to news published in the English language Kyiv Post, "Yulia Tymoshenko has promised to end mandatory army

conscription almost immediately after she is confirmed as Ukraine's next prime minister.

A debate about conscription also started in Indonesia - but there conscription is to be introduced, not abolished. The proposed revision to the Reserve Forces Act (RUU Komponen Cadangan), put forward by the Department of Defence and which will go

before the parliament in early 2008, contains clauses that will make Army training or service compulsory (wajib militer, wamil) for all citizens aged 18-45.

Conscription is enshrined in the 1945 Constitution. According to art.

In the previous month(s), the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

(a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

ARMENIA: Seven conscientious objectors sentenced to 24 and 36 months imprisonment Thu 15 November 2007

[co-alert] DE14934-151007: GERMANY: Total objector in military arrest Mon 15 October 2007

1 December - Prisoners for Peace Day: Focus on Turkey

Prisoners for Peace Day 2007 focuses on the situation of conscientious objectors and antimilitarists in Turkey (see The Broken Rifle No 76, November 2007).