Thanks for your concern Whereu. It would be naive to expect everything will smell of roses. Here is a sample of what has been happening in other places.
ARMENIA Provides Alternative Civilian Service Program That Respects Christian Neutrality
In 2013, the Armenian government instituted an alternative civilian service program, allowing Jehovah’s Witnesses in Armenia to choose alternative service rather than to serve a prison sentence because of conscientious objection to military service. In January 2014, the branch reported that 71 brothers began their work assignments under this new arrangement. Some brothers, for example, are assigned as kitchen workers or as nurse’s aides in hospitals. The supervisors of the program have commented positively regarding the work ethic and the attitude of the brothers in performing the often difficult work assigned to them. The brothers are grateful that provisions have been made for them to perform civilian service so that they can continue to maintain a clean Christian conscience. One brother commented, “We are thankful to Jehovah that we can do alternative civilian service, which helps us to keep our neutrality and at the same time have the freedom to worship him.”
Belarus
On November 6, 2009, Dmitry Smyk, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was fined 3,500,000 rubles ($1,154 U.S.) for refusing to do military duty. “I try to be faithful to the Bible in every aspect of my life,” Brother Smyk stated, “and I follow the teachings it contains. For me, this includes believing that a person should not be trained for or participate in warfare.”—Isa. 2:1-4.
Although the Constitution of Belarus guarantees the right to choose alternative civilian service, there is no provision in the law for actually doing so. “On paper it appears that I have the right to alternative civilian service,” explained Brother Smyk, “but in reality I cannot exercise that right.”
To correct this legislative flaw, on February 18, 2010, the president of Belarus formed a commission to draft a law on alternative service. Shortly thereafter, the court found Brother Smyk innocent and canceled the heavy fine against him. Because other young Witnesses in Belarus are confronted with this same issue and do not wish to learn war, it is hoped that the government will soon make provision for alternative civilian service.
For reasons of conscience, Ivailo Stefanov refused to join the military in Bulgaria. Consequently, he was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. Brother Stefanov took the case to the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that his religious freedom had been violated. When the court announced that it would hear the case, the Bulgarian authorities arranged for a friendly settlement that completely exonerated Brother Stefanov and other Witnesses who faced the same issue. On May 3, 2001, the court accepted the friendly settlement. As part of the settlement, the Bulgarian authorities also agreed to decrease the length of alternative civilian service, which previously had been twice as long as compulsory military service.
KYRGYZSTAN Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court Upholds Right to Conscientious Objection
November 19, 2013, was a significant day for conscientious objectors to military service. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the cases of 11 of Jehovah’s Witnesses and held that Kyrgyzstan’s program of alternative service was unconstitutional. The law required those performing alternative service to make monetary payments directly to the military for the support of military activity. The law also required conscientious objectors to enroll in the reserves of the armed forces upon completion of the term of their alternative service. The Constitutional Chamber determined that it was a violation of the right to freedom of religion to compel conscientious objectors to perform alternative service in such circumstances. Subsequently, in the first few months of 2014, the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan applied the decision of the Constitutional Chamber and acquitted 14 of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were criminally convicted under the former law. These favorable decisions now end a seven-year battle to gain the right to freedom of religion as conscientious objectors. The determination of these peaceful young men upholds Jehovah’s name and our freedom of worship in the Kyrgyz Republic.
