Conscientious objection (KDV) is the refusal to participate in the war service.

History of the conscientious objection

To the forerunners different parliamentary groups of the belong to modern conscientious objectors. Among them were among other things the Hutterer and the Mennoniten. They forced their Verweigerung of the war service into the present inside to large migration movements, which led them across Russia into the USA and from there to Canada and South America. Also the belongs to the avant-garde of the conscientious objectors. In the first decades 20. Century developed the community of the which likewise refused the service with the weapon. Also the pazifistischen movements of the 1920er years are considered as pacesetters today in Germany basiclegally guaranteed right to refuse the service with the weapon.

Due to the experiences from two world wars in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany the fundamental right was embodied that nobody may be forced against its conscience to the war service with the weapon (Basic Law article 4, paragraph 3). The Federal Republic of Germany was the first nation of the world, which granted condition rank to this right.

1969 tried the office for federal administration, the conscientious objectors, among other things in Schwarmstedt to kasernieren. At this time the Zivis still lived with the agencies. After a country wide strike of the civil service-carrying out at Easter, the office stopped its efforts however. Gradually the number of Zivis, which slept at home and traveled only in each case to the service (like other humans to working premises), increased so mentioned.

In the GDR there was however no fundamental right for military service wehrdienstverweigerung. By a resolution of the national defence council on 7 September 1962 however the education was arranged by so-called construction units. These "building soldiers "did not have to carry Waffendienst out, but within the NVA among other things as a gardner, Krankenpfleger or with building projects were used. Particularly in the last years of the GDR it came also to auxiliary employments in large-scale enterprises of the industry. Building soldiers had to perhaps count after their service on disadvantages. A total totalverweigerung was with imprisonment bedroht.1987 the right to conscientious objection by the United Nations with only two dissenting votes (Iraq, Mozambique) as international human right was recognized.

With the introduction of the military service in the Federal Republic of Germany the practice of this fundamental right was made more difficult by the fact that the authorization for the Verweigerung was made dependent by a request procedure on an official examination ("conscience examination ").

Possibility of the conscientious objection in other states

Also in many other democratic states with a person liable for military service army there is legally the possibility of refusing the military service. The right to conscientious objection is handled strict laid out in the different countries differently liberally or and. Sometimes this right is limited only to certain, usually religious groups, or it is connected with the overcoming of differently high legal hurdles.

In many diktatorisch governed countries was and is not not possible conscientious objection legally; everyone can be forced there to the service at the weapon. Conscientious objection is pursued in such states usually as desertion (desertion) and is connected with partial hard (prison) punishments. In the state of war the conscientious objection and/or desertion with the death penalty can be punished.

Summary for Germany

For acknowledgment as conscientious objectors at present the written request procedure is intended in Germany. Form and contents are disputed, but an honest, even written request of a Pazifisten can cover also only one side. Only in rare cases (thus if the request several times) today still another verbal hearing fails one requires. For conscientious objectors, who placed their request by 30 June 1983, that was the rule. There are also suggestions, the verbal hearing, mainly from cost reasons to abolish completely.

A conscientious objection can be submitted in Germany by everyone and at any time, dilatory effect has however only one request before the summoning. Who refuses after the summoning, can be drawn into times of peace nevertheless to the German Federal Armed Forces, until on the request one decides. However then practically without all military training one does and usually one releases the concerning up to the acknowledgment of his request from the service. In many places the respective assigned ones of the Christian churches and the DFG-VK (German peace-society-combined war service opponents) offer consultation for conscientious objectors.

Procedure in Germany

Who in Germany militaryrequiring is and which war service at the weapon wants to refuse, must to it during the responsible circle military spare replacement a so-called request for acknowledgment as conscientious objectors (short KDV) place. To it writing down, which must contain the reference to kind of 4 exp. 3 of the Basic Law, belongs a tabular personal record and a written statement of the conscience reasons. Until recently also a police certificate of good conduct belonged to; it is not no more required meanwhile. A KDV is only then worked on if the concerning were legally examined.

At the latest since German Federal Armed Forces major Florian Pfaff the indirect co-operation at the Iraq war successfully refused, is it however also possible to refuse for conscience reasons the co-operation at particularly despicable actions, in particular at a war of aggression. This applies also to active soldiers. A condition is that the conscience reasons can be comprehensibly stated.

Articles in category "Conscientious objection"

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