Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector trial postponed

The trial of Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector Halil Karapasaoglu, which was due to take place on Thursday, has been postponed to April 18.

The north’s military court took the decision in light of Wednesday’s European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decision, which saw the Republic of Turkey handed a €9,000 fine for violating the “freedom of thought and conscience” of fellow Cypriot conscientious objector Murat Kanatli.

The fate of Karapasaoglu’s case will also be informed by Friday’s appeal by fellow conscientious objector Mustafa Hurben, who was jailed in January after refusing to be called up for military service.

Conscription is mandatory in the north, and the concept of conscientious objection to military service is not currently recognised in the north’s laws. As a result, all refusal to engage in military service is automatically considered a criminal act.

A bill had been tabled in the northern ‘parliament’ in January which would have legalised conscientious objection, but it was voted down by ‘MPs’ from all three ruling coalition parties.