Sarah Paulsworth, University of Pittsburgh School of Law ’12, writes about the absence of alternative military service in Azerbaijan and of protections afforded to conscientious objectors (COs) under international law.

War Resisters’ International, the international network of pacifist and antimilitarist organisations with more than 80 affiliates in more than 40 countries, is concerned about the arrest of Egyptian pacifist and conscientious objector Maikel Nabil Sanad.

According to reports from his friends, Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested in the night of 28 March, when he was alone at home. He managed to call his brother on 29 March in the morning, to inform him about his arrest. He also told him that he would be tried in a military court on the same day, and that he is being threatened with a prison sentence of five years, on unknown charges.

War Resisters’ International received information that South Korean gay conscientious objector Sangwoo Kang, 28, has been imprisoned for 18 months for his refusal to perform military service.

Turkish conscientious objector Halil Savda has been finally sentenced on 3 March 2011 to five months’ imprisonment for a solidarity statement for Israeli conscientious objectors Itzik Shabbat and Amir Pasteur on 1 August 2006. Halil Savda was initially sentenced on 2 June 2008 by the Sultanahmet 1st Court of First Instance in Istanbul to five months’ imprisonment for the press statement, but appealed against the sentence. This sentence was now upheld and finalised by the Court of Appeals.

South Korea conscientious objector Moon Myungjin will be on trial for his refusal to perform military service on 16 March. If convicted - which is likely - he will potentially face 18 months in prison.