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Press Release of the Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA)

For Immediate Release

Moscow, September 20, 1996

Yesterday afternoon Nikolaj Khramov, Secretary of the Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA), has been formally questioned in Moscow office of the Transnational Radical Party (which is at the same time office of ARA) by captain of militia Gennadij Boljshakov, district inspector of the 18th militia department of Moscow.

The cause of a formal visit of militia officer to the Association's hadquarters became a letter received in the 18th militia department (on whose territory the Radical office is located) from Mrs O. Loginova, prosecutor's assistant, Mescanskaja intermunicipal prosecutor's office. The letter contained the order to investigate "the circumstances of the dissemination by the ARA the leaflets to propagate evading military service".

As it is known, one of the ARA's statutory goals is the soonest adoption of a democratic and non-discriminatory law on alternative civilian service. At the same time the Association works among the draftees in order to explain them their right on conscientious objection guaranteed by the Article 59 Part 2 of Russian Constitution. One of the forms of such a work is holding weekly consultation workshops and spreading information materials. At the beginning of the spring draft campaign 1996 ARA has prepared 50,000 of leaflets named "Don't You Want To Go To The Army? You Have Such A Right!". The leaflets contained information about constitutional right on conscientious objection and appeal to use this right as an act of nonviolent civilian protest war in Chechnya.

In the context of the steps undertaken by prosecutor's office, Nikolaj Khramov has made the following declaration:

"We are interested in a possible court process on case of apparently having place "instigation to the evading military service" - an open, public and well-covered process, which would assist us to draw more public attention to the most serious problem of guaranteeing of rights of young citizens in absence of conscientious objection law. We are not afraid possible accusation in "instigation". Being militants of Gandhi-style nonviolence, we consider civil disobedience as one of the most effective methods of political struggle for democracy, liberty and human rights. However in this concrete case we didn't commit any violation of law. Calling upon the draftees to use their constitutional conscientious objection right is not more illegal act than asking pensioners to use their right on free city transport. I do hope, that prosecutor's office - if it has some reasons to suspect us of illegal activity - would not doubt long time but would open quickly a criminal case against Association and its leaders. Let us mee

t on the trial process!"

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