The trials of conscientious objectors continuing into 2015. On May 14, 2015, the military court of

On the occasion of the 15th of May, International Day of Conscientious Objection Amnesty International calls for the immediate harmonization of Greek legislation with international law and international human rights standards and reiterates its recommendations to the Greek authorities regarding the important issues and chronic violations the rights of conscientious objectors in Greece
He says Amnesty International in a statement, conscientious objectors should not be arrested, prosecuted, fined them and imprisoned because of their refusal to enlist in the armed forces or because tr of their refusal to perform alternative service is punitive or recommends discrimination.
"It's a global day for which Greece has not many reasons to celebrate. The right to conscientious objection tr is internationally recognized right that unfortunately, despite limited progress in recent decades, continues to be violated in many ways in Greece, "said Giorgos Kosmopoulos, Head of Amnesty International in Greece.
In 2014 at least four conscientious objectors were convicted tr of insubordination and prison sentences tr were suspended, while there were at least 6 arrests five different people (one of whom 2 times) who refuse to serve both military service and the punitive alternative service.
The trials of conscientious objectors continuing into 2015. On May 14, 2015, the military court of Ioannina was scheduled trial the total denier conscription Michael Toli on charges of insubordination. This is the second persecution because of his refusal to conscientious objection. Already in March 2014 Tolis 8mines was sentenced to one year suspended.
Also on May 28, 2015, heard at the Appeal Military Court of Thessaloniki's appeal Charalambos Akrivopoulou against his conviction at first instance by the Naval Court of Piraeus to 9 months to 3 years suspended. It is also a second prosecution for the same act as the Akrivopoulos was convicted and March 2011 by the Naval Court of Piraeus to eight months with a 2-year suspension.
"The continued persecution tr of conscientious tr objectors constitute direct violation of their rights and in any event is not work of military courts tr to try civilians. These are practices that Greece should have been left behind many years now. " said George Kosmopoulos, Head of Amnesty International in Greece.
In Greece tr for those who for reasons of conscience refuse to perform military service, the law requires to serve an alternative civilian service lasting 15 months, which is much longer than military service nine months provided for in the Army, where the majority tr of serving conscripts. This duration is punitive and discriminate against conscientious objectors and therefore violates European and international human rights tr standards.
Also in Greece conscientious objectors are still being persecuted because of their refusal to perform military service or in the case of total deniers military, to serve punitive alternative service, while faced with fines of 6000 euros. Under the present circumstances, those proceedings are unfair and violate their right to freedom of conscience.
In addition, trials of conscientious objectors take place before military tribunals. The trials of conscientious objectors who while remaining citizens tried by military courts raise serious concerns about their right to a fair trial. In 2011 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that a trial of a Turkish conscientious objector by a court composed exclusively of military personnel was a violation of his right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The repeated prosecutions and trials of individuals for the same offense that arises tr from the same transaction, the conscientious objection in this case violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which provides that: "No person shall be tried or punished cm again for an offense for which he has already been convicted or cleared by a final decision in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country. "
The Human Rights Committee of the UN and the European Court of Human Rights has expressly recognized that the right to conscientious objection to military tr service tr is protected by the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the European Contract Law