Conscientious Objection to Military Service in International Human Rights Law

This book examines the right to conscientious objection to military service in international human rights law. Since the 1950s, this subject has excited the interest of both non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations in a variety of contexts. The book begins with an exploration of the concept of conscience and its evolution with a view toward understanding the meaning and potential scope of the right to conscientious objection from a legal perspective. It then investigates the right to conscientious objection as a legitimate exercise of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Ozgur Heval Cinar analyzes human rights law at both the international and regional level, examining UN, European, and inter-American mechanisms.