European Bureau for Conscientious Objection

Sasha Skochilenko, The Paper’s former author and author of The Book of Depression, is suspected of spreading fake news about the Russian military. She allegedly replaced price tags with anti-war flyers at the Perekrestok supermarket. She now faces up to 10 years in prison. This is the first case under this article in St. Petersburg.

In a joint appeal to the German parliament, a broad civil society alliance calls on the Bundestag and the German government to grant protection and asylum to Russian and Belarusian as well as Ukrainian conscientious objectors and deserters. Germany and all other EU countries must take in these people fleeing the war effort without red tape and allow them a permanent right to stay - and also ensure that the human right to conscientious objection is recognised.

This is an interview with the mother of a Russian soldier who surrendered in Ukraine. It was published in Novaya Gazeta, probably the only non-pro-government media left in Russia.

A huge number of Russian citizens are against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many express their position through open letters and appeals or simply publications on social media. The Yabloko party, the majority of opposition politicians and activists, many municipal deputies across the country, and even several deputies of the State Duma and the Federation Council have publicly condemned the war.

Огромное количество российских граждан — против российского вторжения в Украину. Многие выражают эту позицию с помощью открытых писем, обращений и просто публикаций в соцсетях. Против войны выступают партия «Яблоко» и большинство оппозиционных политиков и активистов, многие муниципальные депутаты по всей стране и даже несколько депутатов Государственной думы и Совета Федерации.

The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection publishes today its Annual Report on Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2021, covering the region of Council of Europe (CoE).

Ahead of the hearing before the Council of State, Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court, of the cases of Charis Vasileiou and Nikolas Stefanidis, conscientious objectors to military service whose applications have been rejected by the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Amnesty International, Connection e.V., the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) and War Resisters’ International (WRI) call on the Greek authorities to annul the decisions of rejection and grant them a fair examin

Le Bureau européen de l’objection de conscience (BEOC) exprime son respect et sa solidarité envers les courageux objecteurs de conscience, militants anti-guerre et civils de toutes les parties au conflit, et appelle l’Europe à leur apporter un soutien concret :

Don't give us flowers, better to go out and lay them in memory of the dead civilians of Ukraine (about 300 people lost, there are children among them), against whom our country has unleashed aggressive military actions. Or lay the flowers gifted at the monuments to the fallen: flowers are better than bullets.

Перевод информации о нашей акции 8 марта на английский! Приглашайте людей из других стран присоединиться к нам. (Übersetzen Sie unsere Informationen zur 8. März-Kampagne! Laden Sie Menschen ein, sich uns anzuschließen.)

After the deployment of Russian troops to the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk and
their recognition by Russia as independent states on Tuesday, this was followed Thursday
morning by Russia's invasion of other parts of Ukraine in violation of international law on
the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Our solidarity is with the people of Ukraine
and all who will suffer the consequences of this war.

On December 6th, the UN Human Rights Committee announced their decision on the case of conscientious objector Lazaros Petromelidis from Greece. The Committee found violations of the articles 9(1), 12(2), 14(7), and 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and asked Greece to take necessary measures addressing these violations. As the organisations signing this statement, we welcome this decision of the Human Rights Committee.

The Association for Conscientious Objection, together with four international organisations, informed the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the developments regarding conscientious objection in Turkey.