Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Greece and Turkey: Connection e.V. reports to the UN Human Rights Committee on conscientious objection

(25.09.2024) Connection e.V. has just submitted two reports to conscientious objection to military service about Greece and Turkey which will be reviewed this coming October by the group of experts of the Committee during the 142^nd session.

Oral statement on the human rights of conscientious objectors and to conscientious objection and asylum

UN Human Rights Council, 57th Session

(20.09.2024) This morning, Zaira Zafarana, Connection’s international advocacy coordinator, delivered an oral statement on behalf of WRI and Connection e.V. in the plenary of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva during the General Debate on Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. She focused on the human right of conscientious objection to military service and specifically on the OHCHR thematic report presented to the Council during the last session and on the UNHCR Guidelines on International protection which clarify that conscientious objectors who are at risk of persecutions in their country of origin qualify for refugee status.

April - June 2024: Activities and Developments on the Right to Conscientious Objection in Turkey

Newsletter of the Conscientious Objection Watch Initiative

(25.07.2024) This is Merve Arkun, Conscientious Objection Watch Coordinator. I am writing to inform you about the latest issue of the Conscientious Objection Bulletin, which we publish periodically. In the latest issue, you can find the experiences of conscientious objectors in Turkey between April-June 2024. In the period April-June 2024, conscientious objectors in Turkey were subjected to many rights violations and restrictions, from violations of the right to work to restrictions on freedom of movement. Below you can find a brief summary of Conscientious Objection Watch’s activities in April-June.

Interim Resolution on Violations of the Right to Conscientious Objection in Turkey

Newsletter of the Conscientious Objection Watch Initiative

(16.07.2024) This is Merve Arkun, the coordinator of the Conscientious Objection Watch, from Turkey. I would like to inform you about the interim decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the Ülke Group of Cases monitoring the situation of conscientious objectors in Turkey. Eighteen years after the European Court of Human Rights issued its first judgment in favor of conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe added a new one to its interim decisions on violations of the right to conscientious objection in Turkey.