Syria: ECJ strengthen conscientious objectors in asylum cases
(19.11.2020) The European Court of Justice decided, that in the context of the civil war in Syria, there is a strong presumption that refusal to perform military service there is connected to a reason which may give rise to entitlement to recognition as a refugee
In a number of situations, such refusal is an expression of political opinions or of religious beliefs, or is motivated by membership of a particular social group.
ECtHR judgement on Russian CO case disregards 53 years of international human rights standards
(29.10.2020) On the 7th of September 2020 the Grand Chamber panel of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request to refer the case of Dyagilev v. Russia (no. 49972/16) to the Grand Chamber, thus rendering the judgement of 10 March 2020 final. In this judgement, by majority of four (4) to three (3), the European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), found that there has been no violation of article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights in the case of conscientious objector (CO) Maksim Andreyevich Dyagilev, whose application for CO status and alternative civilian service had been dismissed by a military recruitment commission, and subsequently by courts.
How to Support People in Turkey and Visitors to Turkey in Cases of Persecution and Arbitrary Arrest
(02.09.2020) This booklet provides insights and advice about how to respond to cases of persecution and/or threats to the safety and security of human rights defenders. It also speaks to those issues as they apply to other nonviolent activists in Turkey and to people who are not politically organized.
Protective accompaniment from afar means providing protection without being physically present in the country. It looks at what local people can do – particularly activists or friends of the persecuted. And it looks at what international supporters can do to help them.
