Macedonia: Treatment by the authorities and the Macedonian paramilitaries of Slavic Macedonians who refused to respond to military call-up notices during the civil war in 2001; whether alternative service is available; the penalty for failing to respond to a military call-up notice
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 12 May 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MCD40320.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Macedonia: Treatment by the authorities and the Macedonian paramilitaries of Slavic Macedonians who refused to respond to military call-up notices during the civil war in 2001; whether alternative service is available; the penalty for failing to respond to a military call-up notice , 12 May 2003, MCD40320.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4dc738.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on how the authorities and the Macedonian paramilitaries treated Slavic Macedonians who refused to respond to military call-up notices during the civil war in 2001 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Article 7 of the Defence Law of the Republic of Macedonia, enacted on 14 February 1992, states that conscripts must complete nine months of service in the Armed Forces. However, under Article 8 "a conscript who refuses to carry weapons because of religious and moral reasons (conscientious objection) may serve his conscript service in the Armed Forces without weapons or in civil service" for a period of fourteen months (Macedonia 14 Feb. 1992). Article 10 requires those persons requesting alternative service to "submit a written request to the Ministry of Defence 15 days at the most after receiving the order to report to conscript service and explain the reasons for the request and the manner in which he wishes to serve his conscript service."(ibid.). A decision on the request is to be made within 60 days of the submission, and conscripts may appeal the decision within fifteen days of it being made (ibid.).
Article 341 of the Criminal Code of Macedonia, enacted 23 July 1996, states that, if a person fails to respond to a military call-up he shall be fined or imprisoned for up to one year while a person who attempts to avoid military service shall be imprisoned for three months to three years (Macedonia 23 July 1996). Under the same Article, a person who avoids a military call-up by leaving the country shall face imprisonment of one to five years (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Macedonia. 23 July 1996. Criminal Code. (Public Prosecution Office of Republic of Macedonia). ______. 14 February 1992. Defence Law of the Republic of Macedonia. Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Attempts to contact or obtain information from the Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in Ottawa were unsuccessful.
Internet sites, including:
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Ummahnews.com
War Resisters International
Search engine:
Google
