25-1-2019 Het European Bureau for Conscientious Objection publiceerde zijn jaarlijkse rapport over dienstweigering in Europa. De nadruk lag dit jaar op Cyprus, Turkije en Azerbeidzjan. In Noord-Cyprus en Azerbeidzjan zijn wetten aangekondigd die dienstweigeraars buiten de gevangenis kunnen houden. In Turkije is er geen verbetering.

The good news comes from the northern part of Cyprus where the government is proposing a law to the parliament which could solve the problem of conscientious objectors who are now at risk of imprisonment. This political initiative comes as a result of the peaceful struggle of the new generation, the pressure of the local civil society, and the international solidarity. But the bad news was that on 15 January, the Turkish-Cypriot conscientious objector Halil Karapaşaoğlu was arrested and imprisoned.

In Turkey, the authorities continue the harassment of the activists of EBCO's Turkish member association VR-DER (the Turkish Association of Conscientious Objection), as well as the blatant violation of human rights and the international recommendations to recognise the right to conscientious objection to military service.

Azerbaijan promised the Council of Europe on accession in 2001 that it would adopt a law on alternative service in compliance with European standards by January 2003. It has never adopted such a law.

Bron: EBCO