Israel conscientious objector freed after 98 days in prison

Israeli conscientious objector Noa Gur Golan has been released from military prison after 98 days behind bars for refusing to serve in the occupation.

According to +972 Magazine, 19-year-old Gur Golan “refused to serve in the IDF due to her pacifist beliefs”, and had “previously stood before a [military] conscientious objector committee, which rejected her request for exemption”.

Though a pacifist, Gur Golan demanded to be recognised specifically as a conscientious objector, “whom are less easily granted exemption from the conscientious objector committee than pacifists”.

Gur Golan was ultimately granted an exemption for what the Israeli military called “serious misconduct”.

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“After 98 days in military jail, I am leaving with my head held high, proud of my ‘serious misconduct’,” she said. “I am happy to be free and the possibility to continue working toward a just and equal society”.

“I hope that future conscientious objectors, whether secular or ultra-Orthodox, won’t need to sit a single day in prison in order to prove their beliefs.”

Meanwhile, conscientious objectors Hadas Tal, 18, and Ofir Averbukh, 18, “are currently both imprisoned for refusing to serve in the army”. Tal has served a total of 60 days behind bars, while Averbukh has served a total of 150 days.