Our House contributed to EBCO Annual Report on conscientious objection in Europe
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Human rights groups documented militarisation, persecution, and conscientious objection trends across Europe.
Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief, together with partner organisations and future member organisations of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO), contributed to the preparation of the Annual Report “Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2025.”
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the situation of conscientious objectors, draft evaders, deserters, and anti-war activists across Europe and neighbouring regions. It documents legal developments, human rights violations, court decisions, asylum practices, militarisation trends, and challenges faced by individuals refusing participation in military service.
The publication covers developments within the Council of Europe, the European Union, the United Nations, and national legal systems, with country-specific chapters dedicated to dozens of European states, including Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Greece, Türkiye, and others.
Particular attention in the 2025 report is given to:
- increasing militarisation across Europe;
- restrictions on the right to conscientious objection during wartime;
- persecution of anti-war activists and conscientious objectors;
- asylum and refugee protection for people refusing military participation;
- the need for genuinely civilian alternative service independent from military structures.
The report also highlights the growing importance of international solidarity networks defending freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and the right to refuse participation in war. According to EBCO President Daniele Taurino, conscientious objection must be recognised as a universal and indivisible human right applicable in all circumstances, including times of war.
The Annual Report “Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe 2025” was published by the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) in Brussels on 11 May 2026.
2026-05-11-EBCO_Annual_Report_2025
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