Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

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.“

USA: Afghanistan war resister Travis Bishop is free!

(31.03.2010) Afghanistan war resister Travis Bishop was finally released from the brig at Fort Lewis last week. Travis originally was sentenced to 12 months in prison in a court-martial at Fort Hood, Texas for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan for reasons of conscience. He later received a 3 month reduction in sentence due to a successful clemency application to the Commanding General at Fort Hood, as well as receiving extra time off for good behavior. He served a total of 7 months and 12 days of confinement, as well as a reduction of rank from Sergeant to Private and a pending Bad Conduct Discharge.

Israel: Prison Term for Objector Idan Barir

(09.12.2009) We received news from our friends in Combattants for Peace that one of their activitsts, Idan Barir, has been imprisoned for his refusal to perform reserves service in the 1967 Occupied Territories. Idan, 29, from the Tel Aviv suburb of Givataim, has been sentenced on Monday (7 Dec.) to 14 days of incarceration, which he is now serving in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.

Britain: War resister Joe Glenton arrested for speaking out in public

(11.11.2009) War Resisters’ International learned today that Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, who already faces charges of desertion for refusing to return to Afghanistan, has been arrested and charged with five counts of "disobeying a lawful order" for speaking at an anti-war demonstration in London on 24 October 2009, and for expressing his opposition to the war in Afghanistan to the media. War Resisters’ International calls for letters of support to Joe Glenton and for letters of protest to the British authorities.