Recent CO Action alerts

A few hours ago conscientious objector Nikola Kovacevic (YU13852) has been arrested by military police. He will be tried for "leaving the unit without permission", probably already on Monday or Tuesday. Nikola Kovacevic applied for conscientious objector status in May 2003. As there was no genuine civilian substitute service at that time, he was sent to a military economic organisation at Karadjordjevo. There he was forced to work in a slaughterhouse, which he refused on several occasions.

01 December 2003 - Prisoners for Peace Day

War Resisters' International was informed yesterday about the attempted arrest of Greek conscientious objector Lazaros Petromelides. Petromelides learned about the new arrest warrant last Tuesday, and luckily he was not at home when the police tried to arrest him. Lazaros Petromelides learned that again he is being investigated for draft evasion. Petromelides latest trial was supposed to take place on 13 November 03, but was again postponed, this time to 19 February 2004.

While conscientious objector Jonathan Ben-Artzi was convicted on 12 November 2003 of refusing to enlist (though sentencing is still to happen), other conscientious objectors went to prison recently. Some of them might await the same fate.

Today, Cheol-min Kang (SKR13828 - a picture is available at http://wri-irg.org/system/files/images/Kang.jpg), a 21-year old Korean private soldier, declared his conscientious objection to protest against the deployment of South Korean troops in Iraq. Kang enlisted into the army as a conscript in August 2003, and was on his first vacation now. At present, Cheol-min Kang is doing a sit-down protest at the Human Rights Committee of the National Council of Churches in Korea. There he is joined by activists from Korea Solidarity for Conscientious Objection.

War Resisters' International learned about the imprisonment of another conscientious objection, refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. Giv Avnimelch was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No 6. He is due out on 22 November 2003.

T.N., who was mentioned in co-alert ISR12333-13793-13794-13795-13796-13797-221003 (http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/22102003b.html) is Nitzan Tomer, a 23-year old computer engineering student. He is due out in a few days.

War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to the imprisoned conscientious objectors.

The two court martials against conscientious objectors in Israel will be coming to an end soon. In the court-martial against Jonathan Ben-Artzi (ISR12371), the date for the verdict has been set for 12 November 2003. In the trial against the five refusers Haggai Matar (ISR12701), Matan Kaminer (ISR12840), Noam Bahat (ISR12842), Adam Maor (ISR12843), and Shimri Tzamaret (ISR12847) the prosecution summed up his case on 4 November 2003. On 11 November the defence will be presented, so that in this trial to the verdict is not too far away.

Two German total objectors, both from Bremen in Northern Germany, are presently in military arrest in two different military barracks. Both have been called up for military service on 1 October, and went to their respective barracks, only to refuse to obey any orders.

Jannes von Bestenbostel had to go to the Trukft Roland barracks, in Brandenburg. Because there are not enough cells in Brandenburg, he is always transferred to Beelitz for arrest.

Simon Alexander Lieberg was called up to serve in Varel, at a parachooters unit, which is part of Germany rapid deployment forces.

War Resisters' International learned about more recent imprisonments of conscientious objectors, while the court martials of all together six conscientious objectors continue (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20030919a.html).

Shuki Sadeh (ISR12333) was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison 4 on 30 September 2003. He is due out on 25 October 2003. Shuki Sadeh already spent 28 days in prison in July 2002 (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/24072002b.html.)

On September 11th, Frst. Sgt. Natanel Asace (ISR13671), 36, was sentenced to 21 days in Military Prison No 6 for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. He is due out on 30 September.

On 18 September, the trial against draft resisters Haggai Matar (ISR12701), Matan Kaminer (ISR12840), Noam Bahat (ISR12842), Adam Maor (ISR12843), and Shimri Tzamaret (ISR12847) resumed at the Military Court in Jaffa. The prosecutor cross-examined the defendants Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer about their conscientious objection. Below is a report received by War Resisters' International today:

On 6 September, US Marine Stephen Funk was sentenced to six month imprisonment for unauthorised absence (AWOL). The military jury acquitted him of the more serious charge of desertion, but found him guilty of unauthorised absence. On 10 September Stephen Funk was transferred to Camp Lejeune in North-Carolina, where he will serve his prison sentence. War Resisters' International is now concerned about the safety of Stephen Funk. As an outspoken critic of the war on Iraq, and an openly gay man, he will be at particular risk while serving his sentence.

War Resisters' International wants to draw attention to the continued imprisonment of conscientious objectors in Israel. Those imprisoned still need our support (see below).

Noam Sharon (ISR13652) was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No 6 for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 19 August. He is due out on 13 September 2003.

Asaf Alberstein (ISR13653) was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No 6 for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 1 September. He is due out on 26 September 2003.

While the court martials against draft resisters Jonathan Ben-Artzi, Shimri Tzamaret, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar, Noam Kaminer, and Noam Bahat drag on, other refusers were sent to prison recently.

S.P. (ISR13647), 27, who refuses to serve in the Occupied Territories, was sentenced to 28 days in Military Prison No. 6. He is due out on 1 September.

M.B. (ISR13648) was sentenced to 28 days for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. He is imprisoned in Military Prison No.4 and due out on 15 September.

Two Gulf War resisters will be on trial early in September, War Resisters' International learned.

On 4 September, US Gulf War conscientious objector Stephen Funk (US13180) will be on trial in New Orleans, on charges of desertion. He faces a sentence of up to two years in prison. Stephen Funk turned conscientious objector earlier this year, and turned himself in to the military in early April, after completing his application for conscientious objection (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20030404a.html).

Greek conscientious objector Lazaros Petromelides will be in court again on 18 September 2003. Lazaros Petromelides applied for the status of conscientious objector in 1998. He was accepted, and called up for a substitute service 7.5 times longer than the military service he would have had to serve (30 months of substitute service instead of 4 months of military service).

War Resisters' International received information today via Forum 18 News Service (www.forum18.org) that Armenia continues to arrest and sentence conscientious objectors, in spite of its commitment to the Council of Europe to pass a law on conscientious objection by 2003.

Araik Bedjanyan (ARM13535), a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, was sentenced on 2 July to 1 1/2 years in labour camp for "evasion of active military service" (Article 75, part 1). He is now in Vanadzor labour camp in Northern Armenia.