Dear John,
Nobody should be forced to fight and kill against their conscience. But since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, conscientious objectors in both countries have faced political repression, arrest, and detention for refusing to join the military.
Today, the Biden administration must speak out. The United States must make clear that it supports the right to conscientious objection in Ukraine, Russia, and around the world. It must also push for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.
Send a message to the Biden administration today!
Recently Yurii Sheliazhenko, executive secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, was arrested and sentenced to house arrest by the Ukrainian government. Among other offenses, he was charged with “justifying Russian aggression. Others in Ukraine and Russia have also been prosecuted for staying true to their beliefs.
This violates the right to conscientious objection to military service. It is a right that is inherent in the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It cannot be infringed upon, even in times of war. Defending the right to conscience also shows U.S. commitment to respecting people’s freedom of religion and belief, a fundamental right in the U.S. Constitution.
Tell the Biden administration: Uphold the right to conscientious objection worldwide — and seek a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine!
In peace,
