Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

South Korea: Conscientious objector sentenced to prison

(18.07.2018) A South Korean conscientious objector was sentenced to a jail term Tuesday, despite the recent Constitutional Court order for the government to introduce civilian forms of service for them.
Seoul Western District Court ruled Tuesday that the man, surnamed Oh, must serve 18 months in prison for not complying with the country’s mandatory military service. Oh, 30, says that his political beliefs go against serving in the armed forces.

South Korea: Statement to the Ruling of the Constitution Court

Welcoming the Decision Recognizing Conscientious Objection

(28.06.2018) Today, the Constitutional Court of Republic of Korea ruled that Article 5(1) of the Military Service Act (hereafter "MSA") does not conform with the Constitution of Republic of Korea as it fails to provide alternative service for conscientious objectors as a type of military service, while setting a time limit for the continued application of the provision until December 31th, 2019. The Court's decision against the legislative inaction implies that it is unconstitutional to not enact relevant law required by the Constitution. In today's decision, the Court recognized conscientious objection as the exercise of the right to "freedom of conscience" which is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution and pointed out that Article 5(1) of the MSA is unconstitutional on account that it did not offer an alternative service for conscientious objectors who have been subjected to criminalization.

Israel Appeals Tribunal Rules: Desertion from the Eritrean Military is a Valid Claim for Asylum

(15.02.2018) Following an appeal by the Clinic for Refugee Rights in Tel Aviv University, the Appeals Tribunal has ruled today that the appellant, an Eritrean national who had fled the Eritrean Military, has proven that: “There is a well-founded fear of persecution from the authorities of his home country due to a political opinion attributed to him as a result of his fleeing military service.”

Turkey: Trial of Dr. Serdar Küni, Şırnak 2nd heavy penal court

Statement of International Delegation of Trial Monitors

(25.04.2017) [Cizre, Turkey] Dr. Serdar Küni, a medical doctor working in the Cizre office of Human Rights Foundation Turkey, was convicted of section 220/7 of the Turkish Penal Code, “aiding and abetting terrorist organizations”, on 24 April 2017 during the second hearing of his trial. The court sentenced Dr. Kuni to four years, two months imprisonment, but released him from prison pending his appeal. No written judgment to explain the ruling is yet available.

Our conclusions are that the trial proceedings ignored the most basic of international fair trial standards, and failed to take into account the arbitrary nature of the charges against Dr. Küni. Our principal concerns about the trial process are summarised below.