ERC asks Foreign Ministry what measures it is taking to protect Russian and Ukrainian conscientious objectors

Eduardo González The Republican Parliamentary Group has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs what instructions it has given to the consular network and what measures it has coordinated with the relevant asylum authorities to guarantee international protection for Russian and Ukrainian conscientious objectors persecuted in their respective countries for opposing the war. In a parliamentary question submitted on January 29 to Congress by MP Jordi Salvador i Duch of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), the Republican Group points out that, in addition to the direct civilian victims, the “war in Ukraine provoked by Russian aggression” is generating “persecution, criminalization, and risk for people who oppose it or refuse to participate.” This is the case, it continues, of “political dissidents, conscientious objectors, deserters, and people who avoid mobilization, both from Russia and Ukraine,” who “find themselves trapped between state repression, institutional violence, and the lack of safe pathways to international protection.” In Ukraine, according to ERC, “data has been published showing an increase in desertions and draft evasion, a phenomenon that reflects the weariness of the citizenry after four years of war” and that indicates “the urgent need for a humanitarian response that guarantees and respects human rights.” In Russia, it continues, “the repression against opposition to the war and the criminalization of any critical discourse have driven thousands of people into exile or underground.” “Many of them find themselves facing closed borders, restrictive asylum procedures, or the suspicion of not deserving protection,” ERC asserts. “The worst repression is suffered in the territories of Ukraine under Russian occupation, where 97% of prisoners of war report having been tortured, and which rank last among all states and territories assessed by Freedom House’s Democracy Index,” he adds. “From an internationalist and human rights perspective, we consider opposing war to be an act of courage and ethical responsibility,” Jordi Salvador warns. “Refusing to kill and participate in the militaristic logic cannot be considered treason,” and the right to conscientious objection “is a fundamental right,” he adds. “Therefore, it is essential to demand asylum and protection policies that recognize deserters and conscientious objectors, and not treat them as criminals or suspects,” he warns. “There must be safe routes, clear consular criteria, and international coordination to prevent persecuted people from having to resort to irregular routes or being exposed to exploitation networks,” he continues. For this reason, ERC is asking the Government, for a written response, “what instructions the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given to the consular network to facilitate, where appropriate, safe access routes (including humanitarian mechanisms) for political dissidents, conscientious objectors, and deserters from both Russia and Ukraine who can demonstrate a risk of persecution.” It is also asking “what position the Spanish Government defends within the framework of the European Union to guarantee uniform and protective criteria for the international protection of people persecuted for opposing war” and “what coordination measures exist between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the competent asylum authorities to guarantee effective protection and prevent situations of vulnerability or improper return.”

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