No Means No Campaign

Defends Belarusians’ right to refuse military service, resist mobilization, and lay down arms—without criminalization.

(In Defense of the Right of Belarusians to Refuse Military Service and to Lay Down Arms)

Introduction

Our House stands for the fundamental human right to freedom of conscience, the right to refuse to participate in war, and the right not to be forced to bear arms. These principles derive from Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 22 on freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

We unequivocally condemn any militarist involvement by Belarus in the war against Ukraine—including the use of Belarusian territory, infrastructure, or personnel in support of that war—and call for concrete measures to help Belarusian men avoid being made part of the war machinery through conscription, mobilization, or coercion.

Since 1995 the Belarusian authorities have dismantled civilian control over the armed forces, militarized education, criminalized conscientious objection, and expanded conscription and reserve obligations; civilian institutions, employers, and even children have been drawn into the militarization apparatus, while those who refuse to serve or oppose militarism are punished as “deserters” or “traitors.”

The No Means No campaign seeks restoration of the civilian character of Belarusian society and alignment of national law and practice with international human rights and humanitarian law. The following Core Demands reflect priorities identified by Belarusian and international human rights organizations for upcoming UN and OSCE reviews.

Core Demands of the No Means No Campaign

End the Militarization of Children — Immediately abolish military-patriotic clubs, cadet schools, military summer camps, and compulsory military training in schools; prohibit the presence of military structures in civilian education.
Raise the Minimum Age of Admission to the Minsk Suvorov Military School in line with international standards and cease classifying students of military academies as members of the armed forces.
Guarantee the Universal Right to Conscientious Objection — Ensure that this right is accessible to all individuals, regardless of religious, ethical, or philosophical beliefs, and at any stage of service, including to reservists and active-duty personnel.
Reform the Law on Alternative Civilian Service — Establish a declarative (notification-based) procedure; remove all oversight by the Ministry of Defence; and ensure that alternative service is equal to military service in duration, remuneration, and social status.
Repeal Repressive Criminal Code Articles (369.1, 289.1, 375-2) used to prosecute anti-war activists, human rights defenders, and organizations supporting conscientious objectors.
Repeal the Provisions of Law No. 363-3 that restrict the right of citizens of conscription age to leave the country, require passport renewals only inside Belarus, and violate the rights to privacy, education, and work.
Establish an Independent Mechanism for Medical Exemptions from Military Service, fully excluding any involvement of military authorities in decision-making.
Prohibit Compulsory “Civilian Duties” under the People’s Militia Act as a form of forced labor, in violation of the ILO Forced Labour Convention (No. 29).
Criminalize the Recruitment of Belarusian Citizens into Foreign Armed Forces, including formations of the Russian Federation.
Abolish Criminal Liability for Desertion and for Assisting Deserters — Repeal Articles 445, 446, and 375-2 of the Criminal Code as incompatible with freedom of conscience, the right to refuse participation in violence, and international humanitarian principles; exclude the use of Article 356 (“High Treason”) against individuals refusing military service.
Abolish Employers’ Obligations to maintain military records, submit conscription-related reports, or bear financial costs linked to employees’ military service.
Abolish the Death Penalty in All Circumstances, including for desertion and “high treason.”
Re-Accede to the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, restoring the right of individuals to submit complaints to the UN Human Rights Committee.