Right to Refuse to Kill

This morning at the UN in Geneva it took place at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. On this occasion, Connection e.V. together with War Resisters’ International prepared and delivered a statement in the plenary addressing the right to conscientious objection to military service and calling on the Council and Belarus to protect human rights.

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 the occasion of the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council currently running in Geneva, Connection e.V. collaborated with War Resisters International drafting a statement on the current situation of human rights in Eritrea.

On the occasion of International Conscientious Objection Day, on 15th May 2024, we are launching the international action #RefuseWar! Join us with your statements against the militarisation of our societies and in solidarity with conscientious objectors worldwide.

The undersigned organizations express their deep disappointment and grave concerns about the continuing harassment of peace activists and conscientious objectors, including the obviously arbitrary prosecution of Yurii Sheliazhenko, Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement and EBCO Board member, whose trial is set on 11 June 2024 in Kyiv.

EBCO, WRI, IFOR, and Connection e.V. strongly condemn the third (!) imprisonment of Turkish-Cypriot reservist conscientious objector Halil Karapaşaoğlu. We call on the authorities in the "TRNC" to urgently amend the Military Service Act so as to recognise the right of conscientious objection to military service, and to implement the Murat Kanatlı v Türkiye judgement of the European Court of Human Rights.

EBCO, WRI, IFOR, and Connection e.V. strongly condemn the raids, detentions and practices of forced recruitment carried out by the Russian authorities from 25th to 27th May in Moscow. Read our full statement here.

Every year on 15th May, International Conscientious Objection Day (CO Day), we organise solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draw attention to their resistance to war. This year, together with our partners, we are launching the #RefuseWar action, as part of which you can submit your statements of solidarity with COs on our interactive map. 

In late March a Lviv Region court sentenced Protestant conscientious objector Serhy Stadnitsky to a 3-year jail term for refusing mobilisation on grounds of conscience. "I don't want to kill people," he told Forum 18, adding that "of course" he would be willing to perform alternative civilian service. Two days later, a Sumy Region court handed a Jehovah's Witness a similar sentence. Both are due to go to prison if their appeals fail. The one known prisoner, Dmytro Zelinsky, awaits a Supreme Court appeal on 13 June.

EBCO, WRI, IFOR, and Connection e.V. welcome the landmark judgement of 12th March by the European Court of Human Rights in the case Kanatlı v Türkiye (application no. 18382/15). Murat Kanatlı is an EBCO Board Member and Co-coordinator of the Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus. 

On 5th April, Thai conscientious objector and human rights activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal declared his conscientious objection in front of a military conscription centre in Samut Prakarn province, openly stating his beliefs instead of complying with a call-up. Connection e.V., War Resisters’ International, the Movement for Conscientious Objectors, Conscientious Objection Watch, New Profile and World Without War are calling for conscientious objection to be fully recognised in Thailand.