FAULTLESS TRUTH
by Igor Valentinov
"Utro Rossii", No 28 (88), July 13-19, 1995, p. 3
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Press conference of Anti-militarist Radical Association (A.R.A.) took place in Moscow to support a collective refusal of military service of a group of resolute young men. They strive for adoption of a Law on alternative civilian service.
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A political struggle goes on around this law for a long time. Let us remind, that according to the Constitution of Russia, each citizen has a right to refuse military service by conviction and pass an alternative civilian service. The draft Law on alternative civilian service was taken under consideration of Duma in May, but was denied by forces of Zhirinovskiy and communists. As they think, the law does not consider position of Ministry of defence: the alternative service should be ensured only because of religious motives, they must pass it in auxiliary units (read: construction squads at general's country cottage), and the law is not timely at all. So, there is the Constitution, but there is no Law. This puts those who refuse in a spicy position. On the one hand, they must be drafted ordinarily, and for their evasion they must be exposed to criminal prosecution. From the other hand, referring to their constitutional right, they can demand an alternative service securing. According to Nikolaj Khramov, Secr
etary of A.R.A., military commissions do not feel shy using "general juridical ignorance" when trying to institute criminal proceedings for each who has refused. It goes up to invitations to regional militia stations for a pretended registering, threatening with enlisting to whole-Russian lists of wanted, and sending to serve to remote places by force.
Unsuccessful attempts of two years in the Parliament to bring up legislative basis of alternative service have compelled law protection organizations to undertake their own measures. By instigation of pacifists from A.R.A. and Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, 19 young men wrote a declaration on collective refusal of military service. "We expose ourselves consciously to a risk of criminal prosecution and penalty. Out act is not only an individual ethical choice, but also a collective action of Ghandi non-violence spirits,"-- young anti-militarists write. In real life, they do not risk a lot. According to A.R.A.'s information, during last four years only one draftee was condemned for service evasion, having been amnestied then.
According to Mr. Khramov, the final variant of the Law on alternative service should meet following requirements. The right to refuse military service by conviction should be recognized as a universal civil right; an alternative service should be of a really civilian kind and should not relate to military forces, military departments or enterprises.
/Translated into English by A.Prischenko, July 13, 1995/
