Press Release posted on 12th May, 2023
➡️ Original post here: EBCO ANNUAL REPORT ON CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection published its Annual Report on Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2022/23, covering the region of Council of Europe (CoE) as well as Russia (former CoE member state) and Belarus (candidate CoE member state).
Overall, the human right to conscientious objection to military service was higher in the European agenda in 2022, as a result of the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the courageous conscientious objectors and pacifists.
The continuation of the war itself constitutes a tragic failure of diplomacy and politicians, as well as a bloody victory of militarism and war profiteers. The military mobilisation and the prosecution of those who object the war constitutes a blatant violation of their fundamental human rights, as well as the indiscriminate European sanctions against all Russians, instead of granting Visas (type C and D) at least to those who object the war.
(EBCO’s President Alexia Tsouni)
Hopefully, remarkable efforts have been made, and more and more inspiring voices are calling for peace (voices for peace from civil society worldwide), including in the framework of the international #ObjectWarCampaign (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine: Protection and asylum for deserters and conscientious objectors to military service), jointly launched by the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), War Resisters’ International (WRI), and Connection e.V..
#ObjectWarCampaign
#StandWithObjectors
Contact and interview requests:
Alexia Tsouni, EBCO President +30 6974461210, tsounialexia@gmail.com (English)
Sam Biesemans EBCO, +32477268893, ebco.brussels@skynet.be, www.ebco-beoc.org (French, Dutch, Italian, English)
The INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU wants to share this report, as those who refuse to kill and refuse to take part in violent means of conflict resolution are also contributing to peace.