Since the end of the cold war, many states in Europe have abolished compulsory military service, but the practice of military conscription remains widespread across Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. This is the case in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, all of whom rely on a conscripts-based system.

Despite this, little research has been conducted into the legal protection of military conscripts, perhaps the most vulnerable section of the military community.

The compilation aims to contribute with the research about the legal guarantees and protection mechanisms for the rights of conscripts and demonstrates DCAF’s firm commitment to advancing the protection and enforcement of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of conscripts.