War resisters

“At last a book on conscientious objection to military service from the point of view of contemporary objectors. It expresses the critique objection poses to patriarchy and social militarization and firmly places objection in the context of struggle for social transformation” – that’s my enthusiastic and heartfelt endorsement on the back cover of this book.

It is absolutely genuine – and not just because I’m friendly with one of the editors and some of the contributors, or because I…

Plaid Cymru assembly member Bethan Jenkins has tabled a statement of opinion at the National Assembly to honour the memory of conscientious objectors in Wales: “I call upon all Assembly members to sign this statement of opinion. We rightly remember our war dead annually and recognise the huge sacrifice that many people have made, and Wales also has a strong tradition of supporting the right not to kill and I look forward to events to mark this important element of our national life.”…

While US soldiers continue to resist deportation from Canada, the mother of two British soldiers serving in Afghanistan has spoken out against the war.

Two more US war resisters (Cliff Cornell and Chris Taske) have been forced out of Canada and back to the US. Cornell surrendered himself to US border police on 4 February after being ordered to leave Canada.

Taske also returned to the US, but was not arrested at the border. A further three war res

On 12 February…

Joe Glenton – the British lance corporal who refuses to return to Afghanistan on grounds of conscience (see PN 2513) – has had two charges of disobeying a lawful command dropped. Glenton, who handed himself in after two years absent without official leave, still faces one charge of desertion, and will face a court martial on 2 November.

US resisters

At least three US soldiers are currently in jail for war resistance.

Cliff Cornell travelled to Canada in 2005 to resist…

James Burmeister, 23-year-old Iraq war resister, was freed from military prison on 28 October, over two months early. The soldier of colour was jailed for six months on 17 July after going AWOL to Canada for 10 months in protest against the war in Iraq.
James was serving in Baghdad when his vehicle was caught in an IED explosion and he was hit in the face with shrapnel. Suffering from the physical and emotional wounds resulting from his injury, and his experiences working with “bait…

Two more US war resisters have been put on notice of deportation from Canada, where they have sought refuge.

On 8 October, US Iraq war resister Patrick Hart, his wife Jill and son Rian were told that they had to voluntarily leave Canada or be deported to the United States on 30 October.

The next day, Matt Lowell, of London, Ontario, was ordered to leave Canada by 28 October.

Patrick Hart is a former sergeant and a nine-year veteran of the US military. After serving…

US war resister Robin Long, who was deported from Canada, and imprisoned in the US on 22 August for 15 months for his conscientious objection to the Iraq war, can be written to at: Robin Long, 484 Lake Park Ave # 41, Oakland CA 94610
Robin cannot receive post from anyone directly until he adds them to his “approved mail list”.
US war resister James Burmeister, jailed for six months on 16 July, can be written to at: James Burmeister, Box A, Fort Knox, KY 40121, USA.
As PN went…

On 22 August, Robin Long, an Iraq war resister deported from Canada into US military custody in July, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a dishonourable discharge – for desertion “with intent to remain away permanently”.
Robin Long went absent without official leave in 2005 on grounds of conscience, after being ordered to Iraq. He sought sanctuary in Canada, home to an estimated 200 US soldiers refusing to serve in the Iraq war.
A month earlier, on 16 July, US war resister…

I heard the words “conscientious objector” on the news the other day and they immediately grabbed my attention.

However, the item turned out to be about doctors exercising their conscientious objection to performing abortions. I grew up with the term in a specific context, because my uncle Bert was a conchie during WWII and had two - maybe three - stretches in Wormwood Scrubs.

He was an absolutist who refused all alternatives to military service. I've been thinking about…

In November we are all reminded of past wars. I think that, in the midst of this remembrance, we also need to think of those who suffer now for opposing present and future wars.

Many years ago, I was acquitted, along with 13 other people, after a trial under a silly law called the Incitement to Disaffection Act.

The acquittal came on 10 December, and ever since then I've celebrated with a party on or near Human Rights Day (10 December).

One year a couple came to the…

On 14 May 14, Francisco Puerta, a leader of the Colombian “peace community” of San Jose de Apartado, was assassinated by paramilitaries in the town of Apartado.
Puerta was humanitarian coordinator for the hamlet of Miramar, one of the outlying communities in the hills around of San Jose de Apartado, the village which has refused to collaborate with any armed actors in Colombia's civil war.
Most peace community supporters have been driven out of San Jose over the past two years, and…

On 7 February, the court martial of US army officer Ehren Watada ended in a mistrial when the military judge halted the case due to inconsistencies in a pre-trial agreement, which had been accepted by both prosecution and defence a week before the trial.

Despite the objections of the defence team, the judge granted a prosecution motion for mistrial. The army subsequently announced 19 March as the new trial date. However, according to Watada's attorney, “The mistrial is very likely…

There is no conscription in the United States: people in the military who become conscientious objectors have to show they oppose all war and that they took this view only after joining the military, having had a change of heart.

Most resisters in the US are selective and not public about their objection. Many are denied reasonable requests for compassionate reassignment or discharge in spite of family problems, or emotional or physical after effects from their time in the military.…

In These Strange Criminals, Peter Brock collects stories of imprisoned conscientious objectors since the First World War, and - with one exception - from the English speaking world; Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. While at times repetitive - but that's the nature of prison life - the different stories manage to capture the experience of imprisoned COs, their thinking, and also the changes to prison over the course of 50 years.

Brock chose prison memoirs from a…

On 10 August, gay Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment on two charges of insubordination.
Mehmet Tarhan declared his conscientious objection in 2001, and was arrested in April 2005 (see PN 2461), and transferred to the military prison in Sivas. In protest against maltreatment by other prisoners, encouraged by the prison authorities, he went on hunger strike for 28 days until his demands were met.

Tarhan was released from prison…