Nineteen-year-old conscientious objector Antonis Makris was sentenced by Nicosia Military Court to 8 months’ imprisonment on 12 November 1994 for refusing to perform military service. On 14 November 1994, 18-year-old Andreas Ionathan was sentenced by the same court to 8 months in prison for the same offence. Both are Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are currently 12 conscientious objectors in prison in Cyprus for refusing to perform military service; all are, as far as AI is aware, Jehovah’s Witnesses. AI considers them to be prisoners of conscience and calls on the Cypriot authorities to release them immediately and to introduce a completely civilian service of non-punitive length for conscientious objectors.
