QUNO has submitted an Amicus Curiae opinion on conscientious objection to military service to the Constitutional Court of Korea jointly with Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, and War Resisters’ International. This opinion is submitted in relation to the cases bought by six conscientious objectors against the government of the Republic of Korea on the basis of the violation of their right to conscientious objection to military service. The opinion outlines to the Constitution Court the position of conscientious objectors in international law, focusing on recent developments in the UN Human Rights Committee. It is believed that over 10,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned as a result of their conscientious objection to military service since the year 2000, which gives an indication of the severity of the problem.
International Standards on Conscientious Objection to Military Service 2025
This updated paper lays out the ways in which conscientious objection has been recognized and is protected under human rights treaties and mechanisms, taking into account developments in international standards that have occurred since the 2021 edition. These strengthened standards can be used by front line organizations as a tool to limit suffering, improve lives and challenge root causes of injustice. Available in English, Spanish, French, and Russian.
