The Turkish government is considering legalizing conscientious objection to military service, state ministers said on Tuesday, signaling a surprising reversal on a long-held policy. “The Defense Ministry will assess the issue of conscientious objectors,” Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin told reporters in Ankara. “It will be discussed and, if it is seen as appropriate, it will be brought to Parliament’s agenda.”

After conscientious objector İnan Süver was examined at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA), the related report determined to reduce Süver’s sentence due to his mental illness at the time. It was also suggested that Süver shall serve his remaining sentence in hospital. The conscientious objector was convicted of "absence without leave" in 2007.

The Deputies expressed grave concern with regard to the fact that there was currently a valid arrest warrant against the applicant on account of a criminal investigation pending against him for desertion, 

stressed that the European Court in its present judgment found that “the numerous criminal proceedings brought against the applicant, the cumulative effects of the ensuing criminal convictions and constant alternation between prosecution and imprisonment together with the possibility that he would face prosecution for the rest of his life, are disproportionate to the aim of ensuring that he performs his military service”, expressed further their grave concern that this judgment still remains to be executed, insisted in this respect that Turkey informs the Committee of Ministers of the legislative measures required in time before the December DH meeting, including on their content and their time table for adoption.

War Resisters’ International, Connection e.V. and DFG-VK Hesse call for an International Day of Action for imprisoned Egyptian conscientious objector, critic of the military and blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. We ask groups and organisations to join the actions on 9 September 2011: Free Maikel Nabil Sanad!

In today’s Grand Chamber judgment in the case Bayatyan v. Armenia (application no. 23459/03), which is final, the European Court of Human Rights held, by a majority, that there had been a violation of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerned the conviction in 2003 of a conscientious objector - a Jehovah’s Witness - for his refusal to perform military service. He was imprisoned despite Armenia’s undertaking, when joining the Council of Europe on 25 January 2001, to introduce civilian service as an alternative to compulsory military service within three years and to pardon all conscientious objectors sentenced to imprisonment.