Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Europe-wide call for protection and asylum for deserters and conscientious objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

Appeal to European Parliament and Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe

(09.06.2022) In a joint appeal to members of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a broad civil society alliance from 20 countries has called on the European governments to grant protection and asylum to Russian and Belarusian as well as Ukrainian conscientious objectors and deserters. They need immediate protection and asylum.

Folder to the campaign

Deserters and objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine need our support

(10.05.2022) A folder is available to the campaign. Under the title "Deserters and Objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine need our support" we briefly present our work for the deserters and conscientious objectors from these countries. In addition, we provide some background information on conscientious objection and desertion and on conscientious objection and asylum. A print template can be provided.

Appeal to German Bundestag

Protection and asylum for conscientious objectors and deserters from the states involved in the war in Ukraine

(24.03.2022) Dear Sir or Madam, With this letter we would like to send you a proposal for a motion to the Bundestag, endorsed by 30 peace-, human rights-, and refugee organizations. We have therefor chosen an unusual approach to presenting our case to you. However, in light of the current situation in the Ukraine, we feel the need to react swiftly. Through our objective we went to ensure that conscientious objectors and deserters from the Ukraine war be granted immediate protection and asylum.

Conscientious Objection in Turkey

Quadrilingual publication to International Day of Conscientious Objection 2021

(15.05.2021) In Turkey, the first conscientious objectors publicly declared their objections in the early 1990s and stood up against war, the military and compulsory service. In the meantime, far more than 1,000 conscripts have declared their conscientious objections. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands have evaded military service, using other ways or hiding. Faced with prosecution, several hundred have sought asylum abroad. By now Turkey is the only member state in the Council of Europe that has not recognised the right to conscientious objection to military service.

This booklet is published 30 years after the first public declarations of conscientious objection. It takes stock, describes the solidarity work for the conscientious objection movement from abroad and gives a voice to conscientious objectors, some of whom were active in Turkey for years and have now gone into exile.

A publication to the International Day of Conscientious Objection in a quadrilingual online edition.