Recent CO Action alerts

War Resisters' International continues to receive news about mistreatment of Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan. According to information received today, Mehmet Tarhan's hair is being cut by force, and he is not allowed to see his lawyers. Turkish groups see this treatment as a punishment for the publication of the abuse he received in prison since his arrest.

War Resisters' International fears for the safety of imprisoned Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan, presently awaiting trial in the Military Prison of Sivas. As reported in an earlier co-alert on 8 April (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20050408a.html), Mehmet Tarhan had been arrested on 8 April 2005 early in the morning. He was then brought to a military unit in Tokat, accompanied by military police. Because Mehmet Tarhan is refusing to co-operate in any way, he was then transferred to the military prison in Sivas. Mehmet Tarhan is a gay and anarchist activist.

Greek conscientious objector Georgios Koutsomanolakis (GR14732) has today been sentenced to two years' imprisonment by the Military Court of Athens. Koutsomanolakis has been arrested on 12 May on the Greek island of Rhodes, based on charges of insubordination dating back to 1979. He had fled Greece and has been granted political asylum in Germany in the 1980s. He was on the island of Rhodes on a visit to Greece (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20050518a.html). During the trial at the Military Court of Athens, the prosecutor asked for a sentence of 1 year of imprisonment.

On 17 May, the Loviisa District Court sentenced total objector Aleksi Riikonen to 197 days in prison, for refusing to perform substitute service. He had declared his refusal of substitute service in August 2003. resently, substitute service for conscientious objectors lasts 395 days, more than twice the length of military service (180 days). Because of international pressure, the Finnish Ministry of Labour is presently preparing a new law on substitute service, which would shorten the service to 330 days, still much longer than the military service.

In recent weeks Armenia continued the persection of conscientious objectors, despite its commitment to recognise the right to conscientious objection.

Five conscientious objectors are presently in prison in Israel, for refusing to enlist or for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories.

While the international conscientious objectors' movement focused on the situation of conscientious objectors in Greece for International Conscientious Objectors' Day - 15th May - the Greek courts embarked on a new wave of ridicilous punishments for conscientious objectors, in complete ignorance of any international standards.

The trial against conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan (TK14724), who has been arrested on 8 April 2005 (see TK14724-080405 - http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20050408a.html) has been adjourned to 26 May today. At the end of the trial, Sahin Ozbay (TK14728), who had declared his conscientious objection on 4 October 2004, was arrested. It is expected that he will be brought to the recruitment office and then transferred to "his" military unit, and will follow the fate of Mehmet Tarhan.

Sahin Ozbay (TK14728), who had declared his conscientious objection on 4 October 2004, and had been arrested after the trial conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan (TK14724), has been released. The trial was attended by a group of Turkish supporters and conscientious objectors, and two international observers, who formed an international delegation organised by War Resisters' International. Tina Kemler from Germany and Eldad Zion from Israel reported on the arrest and later on the release of Sahin Ozbay, and are now on the way to Ankara and on to Istanbul.

Turkish gay conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan was today transferred to the Sivas Military Hospital by force, where he was undressed and forced to wear a military uniform. He has also been attacked by other prisoners, who had been told that "a terrorist" would be sent to the hospital. Mehmet Tarhan was transferred to the military hospital following an order of the General Attorney dated 19 April 2005.

follow-up on ISR14709-010305 (http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20050301a.html)

On 14 April 2005, conscientious objector Yahel Avigur has been sentenced by the Chief Education Office of the Israeli army to a third prison term: 28 days in prison. He began serving his prison term on 17 April, and is due to be released on 12 May. resently, Yahel Avigur is not held in a military prison, but in a military detention camp in Tel-Hashomer. Letters of support can be sent to: Yahel Avigur
Military ID 7379352
Detention Camp
Tel-Hashomer Military Base
Israel

Three conscientious objectors are presently in prison in Israel. All of them are highly likely to be imprisoned repeatedly.

Misha Hadar (ISR14725) has been sentenced to 21 days in prison on 6 April 2005, for refusing to enlist in the Israeli military. He is due to be released on 22 April, but it is highly likely that he will be imprisoned again. Misha Hadar explained his reasons in detail in a letter to the Minister of Defence. The letter is available at http://www.newprofile.org/showdata.asp?pid=811.

Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan will be tried in the military court of Sivas on 28 April 2005, 9:00am. As reported in an earlier co-alert on 8 April (see http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/20050408a.html), Mehmet Tarhan had been arrested on 8 April 2005 early in the morning. He was then brought to a military unit in Tokat, accompanied by military police. Because Mehmet Tarhan is refusing to co-operate in any way, he was then transferred to the military prison in Sivas. Mehmet Tarhan is a gay and anarchist activist.

Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan (TK14724) has been arrested today at 5am in the morning in a hotel in Basmane, a district of Izmir, where he went to work at a book fair. He was taken to a police station and held there until the military recruitment office opened. He was then brought to the recruitment office, and asked to sign papers to be sent to a military unit. Mehmet Tarhan replied: "You brought me here by force. I am a conscientious objector and won't sign anything." He was subsequently asked to write a statement that he is a conscientious objector.

Blake Lemoine, a U.S. conscientious objector, was sentenced by the Darmstadt military court of the US Armed Forces in Germany to seven months in prison on 28 March 2005. Blake Lemoine tried to be discharged from the US military earlier this year, as he is opposed to the US occupation of Iraq based on his religious beliefs. He applied for conscientious objector status, but his application was never decided. Instead, he was charged with disobeying orders on 4 March 2005. Blake Lemoine started a hunger strike in protest against the US Army's refusal to discharge him from the military.

Blake Lemoine, a U.S. conscientious objector, was sentenced by the Darmstadt military court of the US Armed Forces in Germany to seven months in prison on 28 March 2005. Blake Lemoine tried to be discharged from the US military earlier this year, as he is opposed to the US occupation of Iraq based on his religious beliefs. He applied for conscientious objector status, but his application was never decided. Instead, he was charged with disobeying orders on 4 March 2005. Blake Lemoine started a hunger strike in protest against the US Army's refusal to discharge him from the military.