Germany

This article is the second in a two-part series. In Part I, Marah Frech traced the emergence of student-led protests across Germany against the possible return of conscription. Part II turns to the challenges this growing movement now faces, from marginalisation and co-optation to questions of intergenerational organising and its future direction.

Under the slogan “No to conscription and war preparations! The rich want war – the youth want a future!”, students across Germany have been protesting against the reintroduction of conscription. Marah Frech explores how students and young people across Germany are coming together in a nationwide wave of protests against proposals that could bring back compulsory military service, signalling a renewed resistance to conscription.

May 15th is International Conscientious Objection Day: a day to remember those who refuse to take up arms or participate in preparations for war. Between now and May 15th, we’ll be sharing events, actions, and activities from around the world so you can see what’s happening in your city or country. Check this page again soon for new information and updates. 

A few days ago, the Berlin Administrative Court issued two rulings granting subsidiary protection to Russian conscripts. By doing so, the Administrative Court challenged a landmark decision issued by the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg in November.

The following list includes individuals who have been imprisoned for their nonviolent resistance to war and conscientious objection to military service.

Oops, what are Berlin ad posters doing in Helsinki? And why are they campaigning for asylum for conscientious objectors? The "adbusted" posters are calling for asylum for conscientious objectors from Belarus and Russia.

This morning, June 26th, on the occasion of the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, it took place in Geneva the conclusion of the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. Connection e.V. took the floor, in collaboration with WRI, to raise the issue of denial of asylum to conscientious objectors and to call on the members of the Human Rights Council to protect conscientious objectors whose human rights are violated in their country of origin.

On 30th May, peace activists in Germany will begin a peace hike from from Büchel Air Force Base in the Eifel hills, to the Wöllstein prison in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) continues to reject Russian refusers and obliges them to return to Russia. Connection e.V. and PRO ASYL are alarmed by the BAMF’s reasoning, which ignores the risk for Russian refusers of being recruited in a war that violates international law.

Yesterday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a draft amendment to the law on military service in its first reading that will change recruitment practices in the country. Connection e.V. and DFG-VK oppose this tightening and call on the Ukrainian government and the European Union to ensure the protection of conscientious objectors.

The German antimilitarist group Antimilitaristische Aktion Berlin (Antimilitarist Action Berlin) have found evidence that Berlin’s domestic intelligence agency (“Verfassungsschutz Berlin”) is monitoring their activities.

WRI's affiliate the German Peace Society - United Opponents of War (DFG-VK) protests against the reactivation of conscription advocated by some parts of the government. The peace organization announced that, in case of doubt, it will take legal action against conscription - and also reactivate its advisory service for conscientious objectors.