Greece

We are conscientious objectors from all around the eastern Mediterranean region. Our region has suffered for so long from oppression, injustice, militarisation, military occupations and wars, as well as poverty, illiteracy, hunger and lack of social infrastructure. In this difficult period, when our region seems to fall even more into the chaos of war, we raise a common voice for peace and against militarisation.

We refuse to allow this cycle of violence, initiated by oppressive states and economic interests, to continue; we refuse to be a part of it; we refuse to be enemies with people who just happen to be of a different nationality or religion; we will not be dragged into their wars and armies leading to death and destruction in the region.

The Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors have co-signed a statement with feminist collective TO MOV, rejecting the proposal from the Ministry of Defence to effectively extend conscription to some women.

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Information submitted by the International Fellowship of Reconcilitation and Conscience and Peace Tax International

Statement of the feminist collective TO MOV (Greece) co-signed by the Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors

At a time when the democratic demand is the abolition of compulsory military service, the ministry of Defense, on the contrary, seems to wish the extension of this service to women.

According to publications, a new bill is prepared for the foundation of military secondary schools (lycea) in which all those planning to follow military or police professions will enrol, and also the women enrolling such lycea will have to subsequently perform “voluntary” military service, in order to be eligible for exams in the respective academies. We are faced with a proposal for radical and reactionary reform of the education system in the second grade, which must not pass. What does the Minister of Education say? Does the Minister of Defense decide alone for his own ministry? On what right?

In September 2013, Yiannis Glarnetatzis was tried at court without being summoned to attend the trial. The sentence - insubordination charges with one year imprisonment suspended for two years, and revoking his CO status - were sent to an outdated address, and he only learned of the judgement a few months later, when he received requests to pay for the costs of the trial, sent to his current address.

Return to Conscientious Objection: A Practical Companion for Movements

Alexia Tsouni is a Greek human rights activist and a feminist. She is a board member of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO). She is also a member of the group on the right to conscientious objection of Amnesty International's Greek section. She writes about how conscientious objection movements can reach out for international solidarity, and the crucial role this can play.

Press release from the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection

Brussels, 2 November 2015

The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) condemns once again the unacceptable practice of the Greek authorities to target and prosecute conscientious objectors. EBCO demands the repeal of the conviction of conscientious objector Anastasios Batas, member of the Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors, who is on trial tomorrow before the Appeal Military Court of Athens.

From the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection

Brussels, 20 October 2015

The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) condemns once again the unacceptable practice of the Greek authorities to target and prosecute conscientious objectors. EBCO demands the repeal of the conviction of the President of the Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors Yiannis Glarnetatzis, who is on trial tomorrow before the Appeal Military Court of Thessaloniki.

Joint Submission by the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) and the Association of Greek Conscientious Objection (AGCO)

to the UN Universal Periodic Review

25th session of the UPR Working Group, April/May 2016

 

In this joint submission, the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection and the Association of Greek Conscientious Objection provide information under sections B and C as stipulated in the Universal Periodic Review: information and guidelines for relevant stakeholders’ written submissions (Rev 17/03/2015)

Brussels, 21 September 2015

Submitting stakeholders: Mr. Friedhelm Schneider (President of EBCO), Mr. Yiannis Gklarnetatzis (President of AGCO).

Keywords: Conscientious objection, freedom of conscience, human rights, civilian service, military service, conscription, Ministry of Defence, committee, violations, discrimination, prosecution.

The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) was founded in 1979 in Brussels, Belgium, as an umbrella organisation for national associations of conscientious objectors, with the aim of promoting collective campaigns for the release of the imprisoned conscientious objectors and lobbying the European governments and European/UN institutions for the full recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service and the end of the discrimination against conscientious objectors. EBCO is involved in drawing up the annual report of the Committee on Civil Liberties of the European Parliament on the application by the Member States of its resolutions on conscientious objection and civilian service, as determined in the “Bandrés Molet & Bindi Resolution” of 1994; provides expertise and legal opinions on behalf of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe; enjoys participatory status with the Council of Europe since 1998 and is a member of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe since 2005; is a full member of the European Youth Forum since 1995.

The Association of Greek Conscientious Objection (AGCO) is the member organisation of EBCO in Greece.

Paolo Novak

I write this as the results from the Greek referendum on the bailout programme proposed by the Troika (EU, IMF and European Central Bank) make headlines in newspapers and bulletins (July 2015). The resounding NO (oxi) to austerity that the referendum results returned may seem somewhat detached from the concerns of this TBR issue –and yet they are not, in a number of ways.

The easiness of traveling within the Globalized North for its citizens only equals the difficulty for someone to access this part of the world.

In Greece, conscientious objector Dimitris K. Sotiropoulos has been found guilty again of insubordination by a military court, and given a ten month suspended sentence. The nature of the trial was heavily criticised by those in attendance.