Recent CO Action alerts

War Resisters' International has learned today from Forum 18 News Service, that two more Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors have been imprisoned recently in Turkmenistan, bringing the total of known imprisoned conscientious objectors up to four.

Shaduri Ushotov has been sentenced on 13 July by Dashoguz town court to two years imprisonment for refusing military service. An appeal against his sentence was rejected by a panel of four judges at the town's appeal court in Ushotov's absence.

War Resisters' International has been working for month for the release from military service of conscientious objector Cristian Camilo Henao Suaza.

Cristian Camilo Henao Suaza was recruited on 7 October 2008 against his will, and is presently serving as regular conscript in the infantry unit No 32 of Batallon Pedro Justo Berrio in Medellin, Colombia. He was recruited although he had made clear to the soldiers recruiting him that his conscience does not allow him to serve in any military.

War Resisters' International has learned that conscientious objector Mushfiq Mammedov was detained on 10 August 2009, and sentenced only one day later, on charges of evading military service (article 321.1). The sentence itself is presently not known.

As a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mushfiq Mammedov refuses military service for reasons of conscience.

Mushfiq Mammedov is reportedly being held in the Kurdakhani isolation center and has not been given a lawyer.

On 14 August 2009, US conscientious objector Travis Bishop was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of going absent without leave (AWOL).

War Resisters' Internantional has been informed by Korea Solidarity for Conscientious Objection (KSCO) that conscientious objector Jungmin Oh has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in June. He was detained in court and is now serving his sentence.

In his CO declaration from January 2009, Jungmin Oh writes:

On 28 April 2009, US conscientious objector Cliff Cornell was sentenced to one year in prison and a bad conduct discharge.

Spc. Cliff Cornell walked away from the 1st Batallon, 39th Artillery Regiment in Fort Stewart, Georgia in January 2005 and spent four years in Canada before the Canadian government denied him asylum as a war objector. Cornell went back to the U.S. and turned himself in to authorities in February to avoid being deported.

Neta Mishli, 18, from Tel-Aviv, a signatory of the 2008 high school seniors refusal letter, began serving her first prison term on 23 April 2009. Neta Mishli arrived at the military Induction Base on 22 April and refused to enlist.

Israeli women conscientious objectors Raz Bar-David Varon and Maya Yechieli Wind have been sent to prison again on 3 February, only a few days after having been released from their previous prison terms.

War Resisters' International has been informed by its Israeli affiliate New Profile about the (re-)imprisonment of two women conscientious objectors. Raz Bad-David Varon and Maya Yechieli Wind reported to the induction base on 14 January 2009, and we both sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for refusing to enlist. Both were told then that the military prison for women is full, and were kept at the induction base for several days.

War Resisters' International learned today that Israeli woman conscientious objector Raz Bar-David Varon was sentenced to a third term in prison on Sunday, 21 December 2008. This time she received a sentence of 21 days. She is due out on 9 January 2009.

Israeli conscientious objector Yuval Oron-Ofir was sentenced to a third prison term - this time 21 days - for his refusal to enlist in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on 14 December 2008. He is due out on 2 January 2009.

War Resisters' International has learned that Israeli conscientious objector Tamar Katz is being mistreated in prison. As reported in our co-alert, 2 December 2008, Tamar Katz, she was sentenced to 21 days in prison on 1 December 2008 - her third prison term. This time, she has decided to refuse to wear a uniform in prison.

Israeli conscientious objector Yuval Oron-Ofir was sentenced to a second prison term - this time 7 days - for his refusal to enlist in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on 7 December 2008.

On 2 December, Israeli woman CO Mia Tamarin was sentenced to a further prison sentence of 14 days for refusing to enlist. This is her fourth prison term since 28 September 2008 (see co-alert, 29 September 2008).

Israeli conscientious objectors Tamar Katz and Raz Bar-David Varon were sentenced to a further 21 days in prison on 1 December 2008. For both of them this is their third prison term.

Tamar Katz also refuses to wear a uniform in prison and is now held in the Isolation Ward, where conditions are harsh, and various forms of mistreatment have been documented in the past.

Israeli Conscientious objectors Raz Bar-David Varon and Yuval Oron-Ofir, both signatories of the 2008 letter of the Shministim (High School seniors), were both sentenced to prison terms on 24 November 2008 for refusing to enlist.

For Raz Bar-David Varon, who already spent time in prison form 3-21 November 2008, this is the second prison term. She was sentenced to 7 days of confinement to base at Tal Hashomer military base. She is due out on 30 November 2008.