Action Alert: Conscientious Objector Detained in Colombia

From Justapaz, partner of MCC Colombia:

(Para leer en español)

On behalf of Colombian conscientious objector Jhonatan Vargas, student and youth leader of the Central Four Square Church of Barrancabermeja, Santander, detained September 4, 2014.

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:3, NIV)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We ask for your solidarity and action on behalf of conscientious objector Jhonatan David Vargas Becerra. On September 4, 2014, he was detained by the National Police in the city of Barrancabermeja, Santander.

Jhonatan was recruited by the National Army against his will on March 16, 2013, and was transferred to the 28^th Battalion ASCP Bochica in Puerto Carreño, Vichada. Jhonatan has always expressed that that his religious convictions do not allow him to engage in violence or belong to armed groups, and he has, therefore, refused to perform obligatory military service.

On June 14, 2013, Jhonatan, along with other young men in the battalion, received a few days of home leave to visit their families. Jhonatan decided that not returning to the battalion was the only option that allowed him his right to conscientious objection.

For over a year, Jhonatan has put forward legal petitions to try to guarantee of his right to conscientious objection and the Colombian Constitution Court has selected his case for revision. Despite this, on August 29, 2014, military authorities informed Jhonatan that he was considered to be AWOL and that they had begun military criminal proceeding against him.

On September 4, 2014 at about 8:30pm, when leaving the University of Santander where he studies engineering, Jhonatan and other youth were stopped at a checkpoint. When the police examined their identity documents, they found an outstanding arrest warrant for Jhonatan. He was detained and brought to the police station of Las Granjas in Barrancabermeja. The following day, he was transferred to the Batallion Nueva Granada and will have to appear before the military judge handling his case.

Requests:

1. Share this information with your organizations, congregations and communities, as well pray for Jhonatan. In social media, use  #freejhonatan and/or #liberenajhonatan.

2. Write an email to the Director of Recruitment and Reserves Control of the National Army, asking that he release Jhonatan and define his military situation by granting him CO status,  and therefore respecting his right to conscientious objection. An example email in Spanish and English is located below.

3. Copy the email to: the Head of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Rights of the National Army, Battalion Nueva Granada, Military Criminal Prosecutor 22, the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, the Prosecutor General’s Office, your country’s Embassy in Colombia, and Justapaz.

Thank you for your support and solidarity.

Fraternally,

JUSTAPAZ, Organization of the Mennonite Church of Colombia

Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia

Example Email

To: atencionalusuario@reclutamiento.mil.co

CC: ddhhydih@ejercito.mil.co, fiscalia22pm@ejercito.mil.co,fuerzasmilitares@procuraduria.gov.co, magdalena@defensoria.gov.co,justapaz@justapaz.org  (Include your country’s embassy in Colombia-Canada:karine.pleau@international.gc.ca, USA: LenertAJ@state.gov)

Señor

Juan Carlos Mejía Gutiérrez

Director de Reclutamiento y Control de Reservas

Bogotá

Warm greetings.

We write you to express our worries for Jhonatan David Vargas Becerra, a student and youth leader of the Central Foursquare Church of Barrancabermeja, Santander, who was detained the evening of Sept 4, 2014.

Jhonatan was recruited by the National Army against his will on March 16, 2013, and was transferred to the 28^th Battalion ASCP Bochica in Puerto Carreño, Vichada. Jhonatan has always expressed that that his religious convictions do not allow him to engage in violence or belong to armed groups, and therefore he has refused to perform obligatory military service.

We know that Jhonatan David meets the requirements outlined by the Colombian Constitutional Court in Sentence C-728 of 2009 to invoke the right of conscientious objection to military service. Jhonatan has begun his theological and secular studies, has finished leadership studies and has maintained a clear stance rejecting violence in all of its manifestations. This has been certified by General Pastor Superior Abigail Mlacker and other members of his church. Jhonatan’s family also testify to his deep, fixed and sincere convictions.

For these reasons we want to state our support for Jonathan David Vargas Becerra and his family. We  kindly ask you to:

1.Protect the fundamental right to conscientious objection to military service as established in Sentence C-728 of 2009. That they protect the right to freedom of conscience and religious freedom as established in articles 18 and 19 of the Colombian Constitution

2.Release Jhonatan David Vargas Becerras and grant him C.O. status ending his need for military service and respecting his right to conscientious objection.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]