di Tatjana Kotljar

In the newspaper "VY I MY" ("YOU AND WE"), number 20, there is an interview with major Butskoi, responsible for conscription in Obninsk. The major estimates my activity for the juridical education of conscripts and their parents: "In Obninsk there is a considerable opposition to the conscription... deputy of the City Assembly T.M. Kotlyar impedes it a lot". Pacifist Evgenii Konoplev, one of the dozens of conscientious objectors in Obninsk, is also mentioned with a menace. A demand to take measures concerning me arrived in the City Assembly.

It's easy to understand major Butskoi. It would be much simpler to work in Borovskii region where the conscripts know nothing about their rights. In Obninsk nearly every conscript and his parents have heard about the right to lodge a complaint to the court as well.

Unfortunately, the Enlistment Commission in Obninsk sometimes violates the rights of conscripts as well. Thus, for example, they refuse to take the applications for the alternative civilian service. As far as the student of the vocational training schools are concerned - they have the right to the deferment of military service until June, 30 - the Commission is exerting a pressure upon them to make them go to the Army in June. They say that the spring enlistment campaign has been prolonged till June, 15. In short, they lead the boys astray, profiting by the fact that we do not know the laws. Who is engaged in the juridical education of the conscripts? It's a duty of the State and of the local self-government institutions. In other countries the conscripts receive together with their call-up papers a leaflet with the information about the conscientious objection and the address of the nearest centre for defending the rights of the conscripts.

I cannot impede the enlistment: I am not a member of the Enlistment Commission, I am not admitted at its sittings. I am engaged in juridical education, I help to write applications and complaints, I help the conscripts to defend their rights. And I am not the only one. The Committee of the Mothers of Soldiers in Obninsk, headed by Zoya Vasil'evna Kozakova, also helps the conscripts a lot. Does it hurt the Military Commission? Is it easier to call up those who know nothing about their rights?

There is no "Anti-Army Association", mentioned by major Butskoi. I am a member of the General Council of the Antimilitarist Radical Association (ARA). The goals of the ARA are military reform, professional Army and abolition of conscription.

The right to conscientiously object is one of the fundamental human rights. The right not to fire. Not to be an occupant. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution (Art. 59.3). Now the conscripts cannot the assigned to the alternative civilian service - the ASC law has not been adopted yet. However, this does not limit the rights of a conscript. Evgenii Konoplev and other boys who have presented an application for the alternative civilian service and refuse to go to the Army - they do not violate the law. They just exercise their Constitutional right. The decision of the Constitutional Court and the letter from the Ministry of Justice to the Committee of the Mothers of Soldiers of Russia explains it clearly. As far as I know, in Kaluga region the Office of Public Prosecutor has never instituted proceedings against a conscript applying for the ASC: there is no corpus delicti.

Unfortunately, the militia and the Office of Public Prosecutor do not always act in accordance with the law. One can hear a menace in the words: "We have found points of co-operation with the militia and the Office of Public Prosecutor". I understand the wish to carry out an exemplary reprisal with a conscientious objector in order to intimidate the others. Conscientious objection requires courage and steadfastness. A young man, 18-19 years old, supports the pressure in the person of the Military Registration and Enlistment Office, of the militia, of the Office of Public Prosecutor. Not everybody can stand it.

And we will not give our boys to a reprisal. Amnesty International considers a "conscience prisoner" each conscientious objector under persecution. Fortunately, there are no such conscientious objectors in Obninsk.