A landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for the first time explicitly recognizing the right to conscientious objection to military service has been welcomed by Amnesty International, Canada Views writes.

This is the first time that the right of conscientious objection to military service has been explicitly recognized under the European Convention on Human Rights, says the statement issued by Amnesty International.

“With today’s decision, European law is now clearly in line with international standards on conscientious objection,” said Michael Bochenek, Amnesty International’s Director of Law and Policy.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, the only two parties to the Convention who do not yet provide for conscientious objection to military service, says Amnesty International director calling on them to take immediate steps to do so.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights issued the final verdict on Bayatyan vs. Armenia case that registered violation of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of thought, conscience and religion).

The case concerned a conviction of 2003 that goes as follows: a Jehovah’s Witness refused to perform military service for ideological reasons. He was imprisoned, despite the commitment made by Armenia to the Council of Europe on 25 January 2001, to enter civil service as an alternative to compulsory military service for three years and to pardon all conscientious objectors for ideological reasons sentenced to prison.