Venezuela: NGOs introduce action for partial annulment and constitutional protection against obligatory military registration

On Wednesday 13th July, non-governmental organizations such as the Venezuelan Program of Education-Action in Human Rights (VPEAHR), Laboratory of Peace (LP), Center of Justice and Peace (CJP), Civil Human Rights (CHR), Public Space (PS) and the Center of Human Rights of the Andrés Bello Catholic University (CHR-ABCU) went to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court with the goal of introducing an action for partial annulment of unconstitutionality along with an action for injunctive relief against articles 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 52, 76, 82, 83, 85, 97, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 of the Law of Obligatory Military Registration and Enlistment for the Integral Defense of the Nation, published in the Official Gazette Number 40.440, dated 25th June, 2014, which establishes obligatory of enrollment in Military Registration for all natural and legal persons. The consequences of not registering violate articles 20, 21, 52, 61, 87, 102 and 134 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; articles 18 and 22 of the Pact on Civil and Political Rights; articles 18 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; article 22 of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man.

The joint court action by the non-governmental organizations looks to reverse the unconstitutional effects of the norm, which limit the right of free development for Venezuelans, equality before the law, freedom of thought and association, as well as the allocation of work and education rights present in said law.

This initiative seeks to annul obligatory Military Registration with preeminence on alternative civil service, contravening rights enshrined in our magna carta.

#SoyCivilNoMilitar (#I’mCivilNotMilitary)

Source: laboratoriosdepaz.org

Translated by: Kevin Siegel