RUSSIA/ANTI-MILITARISM: RADICAL CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR VADIM HESSE HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED BY CRIMINAL COURT

Brussels, May 17, 1996. Vadim HESSE, a 19-years old Russian conscientious objector, member of the Radical Party and Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA) has gotten a justification verdict passed by the judge Elena RASKEVICH in the city court of Noginsk (Moscow region) on May 13. Mrs Raskevich has directly applied to Hesse's criminal case Art. 59.3 of Russian Constitution which guarantees conscientious objection right to every citizen, as well as international laws (in particular, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), although the respective law is still not yet passed by parliament and Russian Criminal Code still provides the criminal responsibility for "evading military service".

In October, last year Vadim Hesse pronounced his conscientious objection on political grounds: as a civic protest against war in Chechnya, and as a nonviolent direct action aimed to the soonest adoption of conscientious objection bill and performing a democratic military reform in Russia - the goals of those Russian members of Radical Party united in ARA. On January 25, this year Vadim Hesse was arrested by the accusation in "evading military draft". After 40 days spent in the prison cell, Radical conscientious objector was released under "non-departure subscription" - this was also result of Hesse's defense campaign organized by Radicals. The nonviolent action of Vadim Hesse became a symbol of struggle against war and militarism, for the adoption of conscientious objection bill - "The Law, The Good Law, The Law As Soon As Possible" - conducted by Radical Party and ARA.

The justification verdict on Vadim Hesse's case has an extra-ordinary significance. It fixes an important achievement reached by Radicals in their struggle for conscientious objection right as a universal civil right, which they carry out in Russia since 1989. Apart of this, verdict passed in Moginsk gives an important signal to all young Russians who oppose the war in Chechnya and growth of militarism in Russia.

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