Report to the Human Rights Committee, 104th Session
London, December 2011
Summary
War Resisters'
International is concerned about grave violations of human rights of
conscientious objectors and antimilitarists in Turkey. The main
issues are:
Turkey maintains conscription,
and still does not recognise the right to conscientious objection.
Conscientious objectors are
often sentenced repeatedly for refusing military service, on charges
of desertion, disobedience or insubordination, in violation of
article 18 and article 14 ICCPR (ne bis in idem).
While in prison, conscientious
objectors often face abuse and maltreatment either from the side of
the prison authorities, or also from fellow prisoners.
Even after their release from
prison, conscientious objectors often live in a legal limbo, a
situation the European Court of Human Rights called “civil death”
- being unable to marry, to legal register a child, to legally work,
get a passport, or engage in any way with the authorities. The same
applies to those who declared their conscientious objection, but
have never been arrested.
Conscientious objectors and
pacifists often face trials on charges of “alienating the people
from the military” (article 318 Turkish Penal Code) for
criticising the military, or talking about conscientious objection,
in violation of article 19 ICCPR.
