Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Eritrea - Conscientious objction to military service and related issues

Connection e.V. reports to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea

(February 2025) We submitted a report to the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mr. Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, to inform the report of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to the 59th session of the human rights council.

Ukraine: Jehovah’s Witness Jailed for Conscientious Objection to Military Service

(10.01.2025) Today Jehovah’s Witness Volodymyr Baranov was placed to pre-trial detention by Darnitsky District Court of Kyiv, judge Olha Prosalova. The court decided he could be released on the bail 180 000 UAH.

Israeli teens jailed for refusing military service

"We must use every tool to resist"

(28.11.2024) Two Israeli teenagers were sentenced to 30 days in military prison this week for refusing mandatory conscription in protest of the war and the occupation. Iddo Elam and Soul Behar Tsalik, both 18-year-olds from Tel Aviv, became the seventh and eighth refuseniks to publicly oppose the draft for political reasons since October 7.

Ukraine: About new 300 criminal cases against conscientious objectors

(30.10.2024) The number of new criminal cases against conscientious objectors has surged since summer 2024 after the General Prosecutor’s Office wrote to local prosecutors. About 300 conscientious objectors now face criminal investigations which could lead – if cases reach court and end in convictions – to a 3 to 5 year jail term. Of the 89 cases related to 86 individuals that have already reached trial (listed in this article), courts handed down 9 jail terms (only one conscientious objector is currently in jail), with 11 suspended sentences. Trials in 66 of the 89 known cases that have reached trial are ongoing.