PRESS RELEASE - Solidarity with conscientious objectors, anti-war activists and civilians in all sides of the war & concrete support from Europe.

• Europe should stop fuelling the war directly or indirectly, and focus on diplomacy, conflict prevention and non violent conflict resolution. As a movement of conscientious objectors we deplore the peacetime preparations which make war possible: the development, production and trade in weapons – including nuclear weapons – and the training of soldiers. At this time all European countries should open their borders and grant refugee status, to all Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian and other refugees, including but not only anti-war activists and conscientious objectors, both civilians and soldiers who object to or desert from the military forces. Full access to health, housing, education and employment should be provided to all refugees. For example, European universities should accept Russian and Ukrainian students who seek to flee the war, so that they can continue their studies in Europe.
• Russia and Ukraine should grant access to safe humanitarian corridors to all the civilians who flee the conflict areas, and strictly adhere to international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the right to conscientious objection to military service.
• Russia should stop all military operations and remove all Russian troops from Ukraine. Civilians are dying and war crimes are being committed by Russian troops. Russia should also end the crackdown on independent journalism, anti-war protests and dissenters in Russia.
• Ukraine should remove the restriction from leaving Ukraine of all male citizens aged 18 to 60, which has been imposed for the period of martial law. This discriminatory and illegal restriction is a blatant violation of the right of freedom of movement.

Alexia Tsouni, EBCO President (+30 6974461210; tsounialexia@gmail.com

European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO)

www.ebco-beoc.org

ebco@ebco-beoc.org