by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the
Commission
(05 June
2002)
Subject: Imprisonment of conscientious objectors in Israel
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According to Amnesty
International, Israel does not recognise the right to alternative service for
conscientious objectors who refuse to perform military service, as recognised
by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Israel
is a party. As a result of this practice, at least 114 conscientious
objectors have been imprisoned since the beginning of the intifada, 20 of
whom are currently in prison for refusing to perform their military service
in the occupied territories. What steps will the
Commission take to exert pressure on the Israeli Government to comply with
the international conventions which it has ratified but flagrantly violates
in practice? |