Ekspress Khronika, 2 November 1996

MOSCOW (E-C) "The Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA) informs young Russian citizens of their constitutional right to conscientious objection against military service," states an ARA statement issued on 18 October in connection with the violation of the rights of Yaroslav conscript Pavel Solovyov. On 10 October an operative group of the UVD of Yaroslav with authorisation from the military prosecutor arrested Solovyov under charges of arbitrarily [samovol'ny] leaving a military base (article 246 of the RF criminal code). A manhunt for Solovyov was declared in February this year. Before then, two district courts of Yaroslav, the Zavolzhsky and Leninsky, had accepted for hearing two complaints by Solovyov against illegal conscription into the army. On the night of 5 July last year, a police detachment and representatives of the enlistment office broke into Solovyov's apartment, detained him, brought him to the regional enlistment office, and then to the military base. Officials of the enlistment office paid no attention to the fact that during this time Solovyov was undergoing tests in the municipal hospital in connection with stomach ulcers, and that his parents were not in town. According to the ARA, such actions by state organs are a gross violation of a conscript's rights, which are entrenched in article 25 of the Law "On military obligations and military service." In the case of disagreement with a decision of an enlistment office, a conscript can appeal against a decision on conscription to a court in his place of residence within a ten day period.

Only one week after Solovyov's detention was his father able to find his son and take him from the base. Then he submitted a complaint against the illegal actions of the UVD and the regional military committee. Now the complaints are in the process of investigation. During this time, Solovyov was arrested.

PETERSBURG COURT RECOGNISES RIGHTS OF CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR

(E-C) On 22 October the Moscow district court of St.Petersburg ruled in favour of a conscientious objector against military service. On 4 April this year Grigory Blashko, a resident of St.Petersburg's Moscow district, declared to the enlistment commission that he is a parishioner of the Church of Christ and that performing military service contradicts his religious convictions. Despite this, the enlistment commission resolved to conscript Blashko. He initiated a lawsuit, based on article 59 part 3 of the Russian constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to perform alternative [civilian] service. The first court session in the case was held on 1 October. During the second session, on 22 October under the chairmanship of Judge Galina Kireykova, the court ruled to quash the decision of the enlistment commission of St.Petersburg's Moscow district on Blashko's conscription until the adoption of a law "On alternative civilian service."

CASE OF YEKATERINBURG CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR DENIS YAZYKOV

YEKATERINBURG (E-C) On 23 October the Verkh-Iset district court of Yekaterinburg heard the case of Denis Yazykov, who is charged under article 80 part 1 of the RF Criminal Code of evading military service.

The court was chaired by Judge Ye.Shoponyak. Neither the prosecutor and nor representatives of the enlistment commission appeared in court. The defence lawyer was D.Lomakov. The court granted the defence petition for the calling as witnesses of Yazykov's parents, and also Movement against Violence representative Gleb Edelev. A petition for the summoning of additional witnesses - representatives of the military commissariat and human rights information centre lawyer N.Vovk - was rejected. During the questioning of witnesses and the defendant, it was revealed that on 22 December last year at 7.20am, a group of persons in civilian clothing, introducing themselves as officials of the enlistment committee and the police, broke into Yazykov's apartment. According to the defendant, he received no summons. At the enlistment office he wrote a statement requesting that he be sent to alternative military service. However, enlistment committee officials threatened "to send him tomorrow for four years of alternative service in Chechnya." The conscript withdrew his request and signed the summons to appear on 23 December. On that day, through his father, he submitted a second statement requesting alternative service, which enlistment committee officials refused to accept. On 25 December a complaint against the decision of the enlistment commission was submitted to the Verkh-Iset district court. On 19 February this year the Verkh-Iset district prosecutor initiated criminal proceedings against Yazykov. At the end of May, agents of the district prosecutor's office, entering via the balcony of the third floor apartment, arrested Yazykov and brought him to a pre-trial detention cell. After the intervention of human rights organisations, Yazykov was released on signing a non-departure protocol.

The questioning of witnesses and speeches of lawyers was followed by a short deliberation, and then the court ruled to send the case for further investigation. The Yazykov case is the first trial of a conscientious objector in Yekaterinburg. Ekspress khronika