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Third International Congress of Soldiers’ Mothers
FOR LIFE AND FREEDOM
APPEAL TO THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION REGARDING THE SUBSTITUTION OF MILITARY SERVICE WITH ALTERNATIVE CIVIL SERVICE
Respected Deputies of the State Duma!
Respected Members of the Federation Council!
Participants of the Third International Congress of soldiers’ mothers «For Life and Freedom», representing 107 regional organizations of soldiers’ mothers of Russia and 14 Russian and international human rights and peace-making organizations,
Considering that the profession of military servicemen is exactly like other professions, that the principle of the division of labor and freedom of choice of profession should be extended to the army, and that only the abolition of conscription and the creation of a professional army can ensure the security of the state and society,
Recognize that while conscription to military service exists, a federal law regarding alternative military service is necessary for Russian citizens, and urgently call upon you, in the discussion and creation of this law, to not deviate from these obligatory fundamental tenets:
- Alternative service should be genuinely civilian in nature, have social significance, and be useful for society.
- The granting of alternative civil service should be secured by application; that is to say, it should require a letter of notification, in so far as no commission is able to determine the truthfulness and depth of an individual’s convictions.
- The performance of alternative civil service should be realized only in a place of residence; in other cases it is necessary to sign a voluntary contract which does not permit residence in barracks and the creation of a «working army».
- The term of alternative civil service should be equal to the term of military service by conscription. Its extension in comparison to the term of military service is not permitted. A protracted period of limitation of the rights of a citizen constitutes punishment without fault and contradicts international resolutions. Point 6 of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution E/CN.4/RES/1998/77 explains that «The Commission on Human Rights reiterates that states, in their legislation and practice, should not discriminate against individuals who renounce military service as a result of conscientious objection in relation to the term or conditions of service, or any other economic, social, cultural, civil, or political rights.»
- The law regarding alternative civil service should guarantee the realization of the established norms of labor law in article 37 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation:
- a. «free use of abilities for work,»
- b. «free choice of a type of activity and profession,»
- c. guarantees of «statutory duration of working time, days off and holidays, and paid annual vacation,»
- d. guarantee of the «right to individual and collective labor disputes with the use of means of resolution thereof established by federal law.»
It is better to conduct intensive military reform and immediately create a quality army, which comprises people for whom military service is their profession and their specialty, and to abolish conscription, than to introduce universal work duty for those who cannot be soldiers by virtue of their convictions or aptitude for other work.
The immediate abolition of the system of obligatory conscription in Russia is a necessary condition for the guaranteeing of the security of the country and the harmonious development of the individual, society, and state!
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