Press Release: Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-472/13 Andre Lawrence Shepherd v Bundesrepublik Deutschland – Military deserters may claim EU asylum

European Court of Justice's Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston considered in a legal opinion released on 11 November 2014 that non-combat military personnel may claim asylum if they consider themselves to be at risk of prosecution or punishment for refusal to perform military service where so doing might involve commission of war crimes.

The case focuses on Andre Shepherd, a US maintenance mechanic who worked on Apache helicopters after being enlisted in the military in 2003 and was sent to Iraq the following year.

• Primary Source

EUObserver, 12.11.14: Military deserters may claim EU asylum http://euobserver.com/justice/126484

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