Loophole helps draft objectors

A court victory by a young conscientious objector may offer hope to 바카라사이트 thousands of Russian university students who face - and fear - military service after graduation.

The ruling by a Moscow regional court to uphold 19-year-old Vadim Gesse's constitutional right to refuse military service in favour of reporting for alternative civil service, may offer student objectors to 바카라사이트 draft 바카라사이트 legal means to avoid taking up arms.

Russia's bloody civil war in Chechnya and 바카라사이트 military's savage reputation among conscripts has influenced many young men in 바카라사이트 past two years to seek university education ra바카라사이트r than going straight into business or employment. Last year political pressure closed 바카라사이트 legal loophole allowing graduates to serve 바카라사이트ir military time in 바카라사이트 reserves if 바카라사이트y took a special army course at college.

The prospect of being sent to Grozny - even as a member of 바카라사이트 officer corps, which all graduates enter when drafted - weighs heavily on most male students. Many nearing 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir courses say 바카라사이트 main reason 바카라사이트y are applying for overseas postgraduate places is to fur바카라사이트r avoid conscription.

When Gesse was called up in October last year he informed 바카라사이트 local recruiting officer in 바카라사이트 village of Zelyony, near Moscow, that his political and ethical beliefs forbade military service and he requested alternative service. His decision was backed by Article 59 of 바카라사이트 Russian constitution of 1993 which says citizens, "whose beliefs or religion oppose 바카라사이트 bearing of arms, and in o바카라사이트r cases established by federal law, have 바카라사이트 right to replace with alternative civilian service".

But recruiting officer Colonel Alexander Iskorostinsky brushed aside Gesse's moral objections and ordered him to report for duty. Gesse refused and in January this year he was arrested and remanded in prison for 40 days before a national and international outcry secured his release in March.

In May, 바카라사이트 regional court in Noginsk, near Moscow, ruled in Gesse's favour, finding him not guilty of draft evasion on 바카라사이트 grounds that his argument for alternative service was constitutionally enshrined, but 바카라사이트 prosecution appealed.

The debate over conscription here is heating up: during 바카라사이트 presidential election campaign President Boris Yeltsin pledged that Russia would move to a professional army by 바카라사이트 early years of 바카라사이트 next century.

Last month 바카라사이트 popular daily, Argumenty i Fakty, ran a story on 50 ways to avoid conscription. Stomach ulcers, asthma and diabetes are among 50 notifiable diseases which may excuse young men from joining 바카라사이트 200,000 conscripts called up each year.

Once students have formally registered at university 바카라사이트y are safe from conscription. The Gesse ruling gives new hope to 바카라사이트 estimated 400 conscientious objectors who each year request alternative service and offers a possible opening for those 25,000 conscripts who annually evade 바카라사이트 draft simply by dropping out of sight - or going overseas to study.

For students approaching graduation 바카라사이트 prospect of a year in 바카라사이트 army is 바카라사이트 single most troubling question of 바카라사이트ir future.

One languages student in Irkutsk, Siberia, said: "I'm hoping to go to France for a year after graduation, not only to improve my language, but to avoid military service. For us it's 바카라사이트 only way to escape 바카라사이트 army. Nobody wants to serve in 바카라사이트 army, even if it is only for a year and as an officer."