Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Greek conscientious objector on trial for "desertion"

(22.02.2013) Nikolaos Karanikas is a Greek conscientious objector. Nikos was first arrested for his conscientious objection 18 years ago, in 1995. Today - Friday 22 February 2013 - he once again faces prosecution in front of the military court of Thessaloniki.

Greece: EBCO deeply regrets conviction of conscientious objector

4 month suspended sentence of Menelaos Exioglou by military court

(18.12.2012) EBCO deeply regrets the conviction of young Greek conscientious objector Menelaos Exioglou to 4-month-imprisonment sentence suspended for one year, on charges of insubordination by the military court of Larisa, Greece, today, 18 December 2012. What is more, EBCO regrets that the Greek military court rejected the request of the defense to deem itself incompetent to try a civilian.

Greece and Northern Cyprus: No more military courts for conscientious objectors

(12.12.2011) The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection welcomes the recent landmark decision on the case of the Turkish­Cypriot conscientious objector Murat Kanatlı. On December 8 the Military Court in Lefkosa (“northern” Nicosia, Cyprus) accepted the demand of Murat Kanatli to refer his case to the Constitutional Court on the basis of the freedom of thought and expression.

EBCO calls on the Military Court of Ioannina, Greece, to deem itself incompetent on the case of conscientious objector Gerasimos Koroneos in his trial tomorrow. For both Murat Kanatlı and Gerasimos Koroneos EBCO demands the immediate and unconditional end of their persecution.

Europe moves ahead, Greece stays behind

(02.02.2011) In view of the trials of three Greek conscientious objectors in February, EBCO calls on the Greek authorities to stop the continuous persecution of Greek conscientious objectors and fulfil its international obligations by fully respecting their human rights, both in law and in practice. “We strongly condemn the Greek practice of criminalisation of conscientious objection and we are expecting Greece to move ahead in order to meet the European and international standards, not stay behind. It’s simply unacceptable that Greek citizens have to appear before military courts and face prison sentences just because of their conscience”, Mr. Gerd Greune, EBCO President, said today.