A Call to Safeguard the Right to Refuse to Kill and Resist Wars
The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) announces the publication of its Annual Report “Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe - 2024”.
Each year, EBCO publishes its Annual Report on Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe, drawing on contributions from national governments, human rights institutions, NGOs, and solidarity networks. The report is presented to the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly and Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and relevant state authorities - each time accompanied by a set of targeted recommendations.
Conscientious objection to military service is a fundamental human right which must be protected. It is inherent in the human right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, stated in art. 18 of the Human Rights Declaration, in art. 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), in art. 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union - and, as defined by the European Youth Forum and the UN 75 Human Rights Declaration, is a youth right.
This 2024 report presents the situation of the conscientious objection in 49 European countries and analyses the developments in international bodies and jurisprudence.
Its specially documents persistent violations of conscientious objectors' rights - particularly in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Türkiye, Cyprus and Greece - and emerging threats to the right to conscientious objection under the Council of Europe framework. Notably, EBCO and its partners took legal action through a collective complaint to the European Committee of Social Rights regarding Greece, reflecting a broader push to enforce protections under the European Social Charter.
Releasing this report, EBCO reiterates that, while this report focuses on the Council of Europe region, its also stand in solidarity with all prisoners of conscience, nonviolent resisters to war and militarization around the world, including in Israel/Palestine, Myanmar, Sudan, Colombia and elsewhere that fall outside the geographical scope of this report.
Download the report
More information on the EBCO website
