On Monday 12 of December, a few days after the anniversary marking 30 years from the first declaration of refusal to enlist on ideological grounds of Mihalis Maragkakis, three new conscientious objectors proceeded to an unprecedented, as for Greece, massive refusal to be examined by the Conscience Examination Committee.
The Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors calls on those who have submitted applications in order to be recognized as conscientious objectors and perform alternative service, to boycott, from now on, the Conscience Examination Committee. The existence of a committee, which, like another Holy Inquisition, interrogates the conscientious objectors, violates any sense of the protected right to freedom of conscience.
The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO, http://www.ebco-beoc.org) presents its Annual Report 2016 on Conscientious Objection in Europe on Saturday 19/11/2016 in Athens, Greece (at 18:00 at the WELCOMMON Community Center for Refugees’ Temporary Hosting and Social Inclusion, 4 Kapodistriou Street, 10682, Athens).
Το Ευρωπαϊκό Γραφείο για την Αντίρρηση Συνείδησης (EBCO, http://www.ebco-beoc.org) παρουσιάζει την Ετήσια Έκθεση 2016 για την Αντίρρηση Συνείδησης στην Ευρώπη το Σάββατο 19/11/2016 στην Αθήνα, Ελλάδα (ώρα 18:00 στο Κοινοτικό Κέντρο Προσωρινής Φιλοξενίας και Κοινωνικής Ένταξης Προσφύγων WELCOMMON, Καποδιστρίου 4, 10682, Αθήνα).
“In less than a year three different international human rights instruments have pointed out serious violations of human rights of conscientious objectors in Greece,” EBCO President Friedhelm Schneider underlined today. “This highlights Greece’s urgent need for legislative reform on conscientious objection, in order to comply with international human rights law and standards.” For this reason EBCO has decided to hold its next meeting in Athens, Greece (19 – 21 November).
«Σε λιγότερο από έναν χρόνο, τρία διαφορετικά διεθνή όργανα ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων επεσήμαναν σοβαρές παραβιάσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων των αντιρρησιών συνείδησης στην Ελλάδα» υπογράμμισε σήμερα ο Πρόεδρος του Ευρωπαϊκού Γραφείου για την Αντίρρηση Συνείδησης (E.B.C.O.), Φρίντχελμ Σνάιντερ.
“I don’t want the people I love and care about to be a part of the dirty war the state is fighting. This war doesn’t only kill men, it kills women too. That is why I am declaring my conscientious objection.” Polen Ünlü, 15 May 2012
“I will not die or kill for anybody and I will not be a soldier of anybody. For a world without wars, nations and borders, for freedom I am listening to my conscience and I refuse military service. Let’s destroy militarism before it destroys our lives.” Alper Sapan, 15 May 2014
Military coups have brought along human rights violations in every location they have taken place. In every place where the army has taken control by force, the violence has been further institutionalized and the societies who witness the coups have been stuck in spirals of violence.
On 15 July 2016, there was an attempt to stage coup d’état in Turkey. There is still danger of coup d’état. Many civilians, soldiers and police officers either lost their lives or were injured resulted from violence, clashes during this attempt.
EBCO met in London half May 2016 to remember the first law in history (U.K. , 1916) which provided a legal right to conscientious objection to military service. Next EBCO meeting will be organized in Athens in November 2016 with presentation of the annual EBCO report (survey on the current CO situation in Europe); Mihalis Marangakis, one of the historical Greek CO's, will present also his autobiographical book.
Ruslan Kotsaba, a journalist and conscientious objector from Ukraine, was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment by the city court of Ivano-Frankivsk (Western Ukraine) on 12 May 2016. The court found him guilty of „obstructing the legitimate activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces“.
Σας καλούμε στη δράση για τη μείωση των στρατιωτικών δαπανών και την αύξηση των κοινωνικών δαπανών την Κυριακή 17 Απριλίου ώρα 17:00. Ξεκινάμε με πορεία από την πλατεία Συντάγματος, στεκόμαστε στα γραφεία της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής, και καταλήγουμε στο Πολεμικό Μουσείο δηλώνοντας:
Δεν είμαστε Αόρατοι Σταματήστε Τους Πολέμους, Όχι Τους Πρόσφυγες Βάλτε τον Πόλεμο στο Μουσείο Κόψτε Στρατιωτικές Δαπάνες, Χρηματοδοτήστε Ανθρώπινες Ανάγκες
Although nobody remembers in today’s war conditions, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there had been a state of cease fire between the state and PKK, which started in the Newroz of 2013 and lasted for more than two years. After a period of clashes, while Erdogan was talking in public meetings before the 2015 June elections, saying “Give us the 400 (seats), (so that) the issue is settled peacefully” as the head of state; HDP election campaign had the slogan “we will not let you become the president”.
İçinde bulunduğumuz savaş koşullarında artık kimse hatırlamıyor olsa dahi, devlet ile PKK arasında 2013 yılı Newroz’unda başlayan ve yaklaşık 2 yıldan uzun süren bir çatışmasızlık halinin yaşandığını unutmamak gerekir.
Ruslan Kotsaba, a journalist and conscientious objector from Ukraine, was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment by the city court of Ivano-Frankivsk (Western Ukraine) on 12 May 2016. The court found him guilty of „obstructing the legitimate activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces“.