Recent CO Action alerts

Turkish conscientious objector Halil Savda has been finally sentenced on 3 March 2011 to five months' imprisonment for a solidarity statement for Israeli conscientious objectors Itzik Shabbat and Amir Pastar on 1 August 2006.

South Korea conscientious objector Moon Myungjin will be on trial for his refusal to perform military service on 16 March. If convicted - which is likely - he will potentially face 18 months in prison.

War Resisters' International received information that South Korean conscientious objector and anarchist Jihwan Ahn was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for conscientious objection on 17 February. He was arrested in court and transferred to prison.

In his declaration, he states:

War Resisters' International has been informed that Maikel Nabil Sanad, a conscientious objector to military service, has been arrested by military police in Cairo at 2pm today. The military police used a military jeep with number plate 440700.

War Resisters' International received information that Algerian conscientious objector Soufiane Ababou is feared to have been recruited by force yesterday, and there are serious fears for his health.

Soufiane Ababou, a youth from the Algerian town of Lamtar who turns 26 next month, is refusing military service since 2005. He refuses military service based on his pacifist convictions.

War Resisters' International has been informed by Acción Colectiva de Objetores y Objetoras de Conciencia ACOOC about the detention of conscientious objector Jose Luis Peña.

War Resisters' International is glad to inform that Egypt conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad has been released and exempted from military service earlier today. He had been arrested by military intelligence on Friday (see co-alert, 14 November 2010).

Maikel Nabil Sanad wrote about his experience:

War Resisters' International has been informed that Egypt conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad has been arrested by military intelligence on 12 November and 10pm. They took him without even giving him the chance to change his clothes, with his bare feet.

War Resisters' International has been informed by its Colombian affiliate Red Juvenil de Medellin about the recruitment by force of conscientious objector Juan Diego Agudelo.

War Resisters' International has learned from Forum 18 News Service that three conscientious objectors received prison sentences in Turkmenistan recently, bringing the total of conscientious objectors serving sentences to 10, of which eight are serving labour camp terms between 18 months and two years.

War Resisters' International is concerned about the liberty and safety of Egyptian conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad from Cairo.

Maikel Nabil Sanad finished his college education last year, and has now been informed by the military authorities on 18 October that he is to report to the College of Reserve Officers at Fayed (Ismailia) on 22 October 2010, to begin serving his compulsory military service.

War Resisters' International has learned that conscientious objector Farid Mammedov was arrested on 8 September 2010, when his appeal against a prison sentence of nine months failed. As a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Farid Mammedov refuses military service for reasons of conscience.

22-year-old Farid Mammedov was sentenced on 16 July by the Baku Nasimi District Court under Criminal Code Article 321.1 to nine months imprisonment.

War Resisters' International has been informed by one of İnan Suver's lawyers that he ended his hunger strike (on which we reported on 3 September - see co-alert, 3 September 2010) for health reasons. He does not intend to go on hunger strike again any time soon.

War Resisters' International has been informed that Turkish conscientious objector İnan Suver began a second hunger strike on 1 September 2010. At present, it is not known to WRI what prompted this hunger strike, and what are the demands.

War Resisters' International has been informed today that Turkish conscientious objector İnan Suver has been arrested today while trying to get an ID paper from the office of his municipality. During the check of his identity and came out that his address was listed as the address of a "deserter", and police was called to arrest him. He was first brought to the police station, and later this morning to Bakirkoy court, where his detention was ordered.

War Resisters' International has been informed today by its Israeli affiliate New Profile about the repeated imprisonment of conscientious objector Shir Regev.

Shir Regev, 20, from the village of Tuval in the North of Israel, an anarchist and anti-Occupation activist, has began serving his third prison term (34 days) on 14 July 2010.