The movement “No to compulsory military service” stresses its complete support to the conscientious objector Amir Eid and his right to full exemption from military service, which is guaranteed by the United Nations convention which was ratified by Egypt.
No to Compulsory Military Service Movement supports the Conscientious Objector Kamal El-ghety in his request to be excepted from the compulsory Military Education subject. The universities organization law requires every Egyptian male student to attend a subject on Military Education in order to get his graduation certificate.
Kamal has submitted a written request addressed to Cairo University dean Mr. Gaber Gad Nassar asking him to exclude the former from attending the Military Education subject. The subject contradicts with his pacifist beliefs, and his discomfort with being used as a tool in armed conflicts. The subject promotes for values such as blind disobedience making it a crime to reject any order as well as it discriminates between Egyptians on terms of their gender, according to El-ghety. Forcing El-ghety to attend the subject is a blatant violation of the international law, and article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights in particular that bans any “coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.” Cairo University has rejected El-ghety’s request.
WRI's Egyptian affiliate NoMilService are working with a new conscientious objector, Samir Elsharbaty. Samir has requested his exemption from the service in March. You can find NoMilService's statement supporting him here.
في يوم السبت 13 فبراير 2016 طُلبت رسميًا لأداء الخدمة العسكرية بعد تأدية الكشف الطبي وترشيحي ضابط احتياط بالقوات المُسلحة٬ ولأنني وجدت أن العمل العسكري لا يتفق مع مبادئي ومعتقداتي٬ ولأنني لا أشعر بالارتياح الضميري للانضمام للقوات المُسلحة فإنني أُعلن رفضي للخدمة العسكرية وقد طلبت من إدارة التجنيد استثنائي من الخدمة العسكرية.