IFOR Statement Calls for Protection of Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian Conscientious Objectors
IFOR statement september 2026IFOR urges Europe to protect conscientious objectors from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) submitted a written statement on conscientious objection to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Issued on 22 September 2026 under agenda item 10, the statement bears the reference A/HRC/63/NGO/67. It was prepared with the involvement of Yurii Sheliazhenko and Christian Renoux.
IFOR is an international peace movement founded in response to the First World War. It brings together branches, groups and affiliates across more than 40 countries and promotes nonviolence, reconciliation and the right to conscientious objection. It holds special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Learn more about IFOR.
Its central demand is clear: the right to refuse military service on grounds of conscience must remain effective when a country is at war. The authors link that right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and argue that states should provide accessible, non-punitive civilian alternatives to military duties. They also call for non-military ways for conscientious objectors to contribute to the safety and resilience of their communities.
Belarusian conscientious objectors must not be forgotten
The statement identifies persecution of peace activists and conscientious objectors in Belarus. It describes arrests, fines and prison sentences under broadly framed extremism provisions, and calls on the Belarusian authorities to end persecution for antiwar speech and nonviolent action.
Protection cannot end at a border. Belarusian conscientious objectors and antiwar activists may also face obstacles when trying to enter Europe or obtain international protection. The submission therefore urges the European Union to provide humanitarian protection and asylum to conscientious objectors from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
This distinction matters. A conscientious objector is someone whose refusal to perform military service is grounded in conscience, religion or belief. The statement does not purport to assess every case of a person avoiding conscription. It does insist that those facing persecution because of a conscientious refusal need access to effective protection.
Rights in Russia and Ukraine
The statement condemns Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and describes the repression of Russian antiwar activists, deserters and conscientious objectors. It also points to the unlawful imposition of military service on residents of occupied Ukrainian territories. IFOR calls on Russia to end the war, withdraw from occupied territories and stop persecuting people for peaceful resistance to militarism. 
At the same time, the submission recognises Ukraine’s right to defend itself while arguing that national defence cannot set aside freedom of conscience. It raises concerns about the absence of an effective alternative civilian service during wartime and about the treatment of people who refuse military service on grounds of belief. It calls on Ukraine to guarantee the right to conscientious objection and allow objectors to contribute through non-military service.
The authors name individual cases and cite reports by UN bodies and civil society organisations. Their purpose is to show that protection of conscientious objection is a practical question affecting people’s safety, liberty and ability to live according to their convictions.
A responsibility for European states
For people who have fled, formal recognition of a right has little value if they cannot reach safety or obtain a fair assessment of their protection needs. The statement criticises restrictions on entry, visas and asylum for Russian and Belarusian conscientious objectors, as well as measures that could restrict protection for Ukrainian men of conscription age. It urges the EU to preserve human rights protections while responding to security challenges.
IFOR also proposes that the UN consider a dedicated special rapporteur on conscientious objection and non-military peace protection. That is a recommendation from the organisation, not an existing UN mandate. The proposal would give these issues a more consistent place in international monitoring and dialogue.
Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief welcomes the inclusion of Belarusian conscientious objectors in this international appeal. We thank Christian Renoux, Yurii Sheliazhenko and IFOR for sustained advocacy for people who refuse to kill and for those who defend their rights. We are sharing the statement across our platforms and will continue working with partners to document risks faced by conscientious objectors and peace activists, including after they leave their countries of origin.
Read the full IFOR written statement: A/HRC/63/NGO/67, Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to Peace and Conscientious Objection to Military Service in the Context of Russian Aggression Against Ukraine.
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