AMR 51/083/2006
Further Information on UA 208/05 (AMR 51/123/2005, 09 August 2005) and follow-up (AMR 51/137/2005, 05 September 2005) -
Prisoner of conscience
USA : Kevin Benderman (m)
23 May 2006
Kevin Benderman, imprisoned solely for his conscientious objection to the war in Iraq, is now known to have had his request for parole denied on 30 March. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience.
The parole board denied his request on the grounds that he had not been sufficiently rehabilitated, he had not served enough of his punitive sentence and he had not adjusted to prison life. Kevin Benderman has now served 11 months of a 15-month sentence. He is held in Fort Lewis, Washington State, 3,000 miles from his family. He has appealed against the parole board’s decision.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Kevin Benderman had served as an army mechanic for 10 years when he developed moral and religious objections to the war in Iraq, after serving there in 2003, and refused to deploy again. After seeing scenes of devastation in Iraq, and through his readings of both the Bible and the Qu’ran, he filed an application for conscientious objector status in December 2004. His application was turned down in April 2005 and he was court-martialled and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Amnesty International considers his objection to the war to be genuine and credible, and also that he took reasonable steps to secure release from his military obligations, and therefore considers him a prisoner of conscience.
RECOMMENDED ACTION :
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language :
expressing disappointment at the parole board’s decision to deny parole to Kevin Benderman ;
reiterating that Amnesty International considers Kevin Benderman to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his conscientious objection to the war in Iraq ;
calling for him to be released immediately and unconditionally.
APPEALS TO :
Secretary of the Army Dr Francis J. Harvey
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-0101,
USA
Fax : +1 703 693 5735
Salutation : Dear Secretary
Brigadier General Hillman
Fort Lewis Garrison Commander
525 Replacement
Ft. Lewis, Washington, 98433-9500,
USA
Fax : +1 253 967 0061
Salutation : Dear Brigadier General
COPIES TO :
Mr.James Vick
Director, Army Clemency and Review Board
1941Jefferson Davis Highway,2nd Floor
Arlington, VA22202-4508
USA
Ambassade des Etats-Unis d’Amérique
Boulevard du Régent 27
1000 Bruxelles
Fax : 02.511.27.25
Letters of support can also be sent directly to Kevin Benderman at
Kevin Mitchell Benderman
PO Box 339536
Fort Lewis Washington
98433 9536
USA
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 5 July 2006.
