Right to Refuse to Kill

Join us on 7th July, Wednesday (5pm CEST), for a discussion with campaigners and conscientious objectors from Turkey. To register and find more info read our story.

WRI strongly condemns the brutal attacks against conscientious objector Ruslan Kotsaba and stands in solidarity with him. We also join the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (UPM) in their call to the authorities to investigate the attacks against Kotsaba thoroughly and take necessary steps to ensure his and other UPM activists’ safety. 

For the first time, the Supreme Court of South Korea upheld a lower court's acquittal of a conscientious objector who refused to perform military service due to his personal convictions other than religious convictions based on Jehovah Witness belief. 

Conscientious Objection Association (Turkey) released the English edition of their latest bulletin, covering updates on conscientious objection to military service in Turkey from March and April 2021. 

The bulletin includes information on the rights violations of conscientious objectors in Turkey as well as the legal cases followed by the association.

Our webinar series, Campaigning for Conscientious Objection to Military Service, continues with a new event on 16th June (4pm London, 5pm Geneva).

This time, we will have a particular focus on conscientious objection and asylum. On our webinar:

On the occasion of May 15 – International Day of Conscientious Objection, Women in Black organised an antimilitarist action in Belgrade (Knez Mihailova Street near the restaurant Ruski car) “NO to military service – YES to conscientious objection!”

International Conscientious Objection Day (CO Day), 15th May, was celebrated with actions and events by activists from around the world in solidarity with those who have and those who continue to resist war. This year we had a particular focus on Turkey.

The antimilitarist movement in Colombia describes the situation that has been experienced in Colombia since April 28, 2021, the reasons why demonstrations have been held since that date and the militarized response of the government. This is an urgent call for solidarity to challenge he discourses of war and fear that today find an absolutely opposite correlate to the cultural resistance, the bets for change and the possibility of building horizons more in line with the reality of the Colombian people and their proposals to materialize peace from the territories, in diversity and dignified life.

Date and Time: 14th May, 3:30pm BST, 4:30pm CEST, 5:30pm Turkey.
Our next webinar marks International Conscientious Objection Day and focuses on Turkey. Join us on 14th May (4:30pm CEST) and be part of our discussion with conscientious objectors and campaigners from Turkey.

In a surprise move, the regime freed from prison on 8 May all 16 of Turkmenistan's known jailed conscientious objectors in a prisoner amnesty. The 16 – all of them Jehovah's Witnesses – were serving jail terms of between one and four years. They are among the very few prisoners of conscience - including political prisoners - ever to be freed in the regular prisoner amnesties. 

Every year on 15th May, the International Conscientious Objection Day, we organise solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draw attention to their resistance to war. This year we have a particular focus on Turkey – working closely with the Conscientious Objection Association - Turkey (VR-DER).

In March 2021, War Resisters’ International has submitted a report in the context of the 3rd Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Greece by the UN Human Rights Council.

The report details numerous violations of human rights of conscientious objectors in Greece, including: