Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

U.S. AWOL soldier André Shepherd receives award from German newspaper

No decision yet in German asylum process

(20.09.2010) Connection e.V. and Military Counseling Network welcome the announcement that the taz newspaper awarded its Panther Prize to U.S. AWOL soldier André Shepherd on Saturday, September 18^th. „This is a clear sign that the German public stands in solidarity with Shepherd“, Rudi Friedrich of Connection e.V. stated today. “We are now urging the German migration authorities to finally grant André Shepherd the necessary asylum protection."

Canada: Federal Court of Appeal rules in favour of Iraq War resister Jeremy Hinzman and family

Immigration Minister must act as directed by Parliament and let US resisters stay in Canada

(06.07.2010) Toronto—This afternoon the Federal Court of Appeal issued its unanimous judgment that an immigration officer’s decision rejecting Jeremy Hinzman’s application for permanent residence in Canada was “significantly flawed” and “unreasonable.” The Federal Court of Appeal decided that the Federal Court erred in a June 2, 2009 ruling by dismissing the application by U.S. Iraq war resister Jeremy Hinzman for judicial review of a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Officer’s humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds decision.

United Kingdom: Nine Months Sentence Confirmed on Appeal

Comprehensive Report about the Hearing

(02.05.2010) On 21 April about 30 women and men took part in a picket (called by the Stop the War Coalition) in front of the Royal Courts in London to support Joe Glenton who was appealing his nine-month sentence. Payday distributed a leaflet. Covering the event were: BBC Arabic & Persian services and Iranian TV which interviewed the demonstrators.

Court of Appeal confirms nine months sentence for Joe Glenton

British Afghanistan war refusenik still in prison

(23.04.2010) According to information forwarded by the British organisation Payday, the High Court in London refused the appeal lodged by British Afghanistan war refusenik Joe Glenton and confirmed the sentence of nine months for having gone AWOL. Connection e.V., Iraq Veterans Against the War Europe, DFG-VK Hesse and Payday see the sentence as a measure to prevent other soldiers from speaking out their opposition to the war in Afghanistan. Rudi Friedrich of the network for conscientious objectors Connection e.V. said today, „According to figures published by the British ministry of war, more than 17,000 British soldiers have gone AWOL since 2003. They have clearly voted with their feet: Against the highly controversial war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.“ Chris Capps, spokesman of IVAW Europe,

added: “They picked out Joe Glenton because he spoke out what so many soldiers are thinking. The politicians who instigated the war should be in the dock, not people who refuse it.“