No War on Christmas

23th December 2025

«On the days when we celebrate the birth of the savior of humanity, Jesus Christ, all the Earth should be immersed in an atmosphere of quiet joy and love between fellow humans.

His message “blessed are the peacemakers” is more relevant than ever today, when people are senselessly killing each other in dozens of wars around the world. Merchants of death, butcher commanders and propagandists of hatred revel in almost dictatorial power and call this savagery “civilization”. But there is nothing civil in this militarization. In civilized democratic countries, all these armies of militaristic barbarians would have long ago been sent to a psychologist for treatment at a support group for anonymous war addicts.

I am writing this after another massive attack on the Kyiv city where I live and other Ukrainian cities by the Russian army, which continues to kill mercilessly my fellow citizens, destroy our homes, deprive us of electricity, water and heating. […]»

Read the full text: »Ні війні на Різдво« ⸻ ВІЛЬНІ ЦИВІЛЬНІ ↷ (No War on Christmas ⸻ FREE CIVILIANS)

Connection e.V. advocates at the OSCE in Warsaw for the right to conscientious objection to military service

Between 7th and 16th October 2025, the «Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights» of the «Organization for Security and Co—operation in Europe» organized the «Conference on the Human Dimension» in Warsaw. It was a ten—day conference with plenary sessions and side events addressing issues from across the OSCE—area. «Connection e.V.» participated in the Conference and advocated there for the right to conscientious objection to military service.

On 16 October, «Connection e.V.» organized a side event on the right to conscientious objection to military service. The event was co—hosted with the Russian «Movement of Conscientious Objectors» as well as with «Conscientious Objection Watch» from Türkiye.

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UKRAINE:ㅤPermission for Young Men to Leave the Country

8th December 2025

First, the situation in Ukraine:

The human right to conscientious objection to military service is enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution. However, the implementing provisions state that it can only be claimed by members of ten specific sects. For the vast majority of people, including soldiers, it is effectively unavailable. At present, there are around 500 conscientious objectors attempting to assert this right. All of them have failed so far. Even when a court does rule in their favour, which does happen occasionally, the prosecution files an appeal under pressure from the military. While at the beginning of the war the sentences handed down were three to four years in prison, five years has now become the norm. There are reports that forcibly recruited conscientious objectors are beaten in recruitment centres, tied to beds, deprived of food and then forced into military service. We are aware of quite a number of such cases.

Continue reading UKRAINE:ㅤPermission for Young Men to Leave the Country