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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/conscientious-objectors-revealed.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="Nine British service personnel have applied to be discharged from the military as conscientious objectors since the start of the war in Afghanistan" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/min-conscientious-objectors-revealed.jpg" alt="Nine British service personnel have applied to be discharged from the military as conscientious objectors since the start of the war in Afghanistan"/></a></p>
<p>Nine British servicemen and women have applied to be discharged from the military as conscientious objectors since the start of the war in Afghanistan, according to official figures.</p>
<p>Six of them &#8211; two from the Royal Navy and four from the RAF &#8211; were granted the right to leave the armed forces because of moral, political or religious objections.</p>
<p>Among the three who failed in their bid was Royal Navy medic Michael Lyons, who unsuccessfully took his case to an appeal panel in December.</p>
<p>No members of the Army have sought to be classified as conscientious objectors since UK forces joined US-led attacks on Afghanistan in 2001, Ministry of Defence statistics released following a Freedom of Information request show.</p>
<p>Two RAF personnel requested the status in 2003 &#8211; the year Britain took part in the controversial invasion of Iraq &#8211; and another two in 2005.</p>
<p>Three members of the Royal Navy sought discharge as conscientious objectors in 2006, one in 2007 and one in 2010.</p>
<p>Between 1990 and 2000, 13 Royal Navy personnel and one soldier applied for conscientious objector status, a separate Freedom of Information response shows.</p>
<p>Mr Lyons, 24, from Plymouth, Devon, became the first serviceman in 14 years to appear before the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors, which hears appeals from those seeking a discharge on moral grounds. He told the panel he felt unable to serve in Afghanistan in the wake of revelations about civilian casualties by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.</p>
<p>Anti-war campaigners suggested the figures were evidence of growing opposition to the ongoing war in Afghanistan among the military. Lindsey German, convener of the Stop The War Coalition, said: &#8220;We are finding more members of the armed forces who do not want to serve in Afghanistan. When more than two-thirds of the population want the troops out, this is bound to affect the troops themselves.&#8221;</p>
<p>A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: &#8220;There is a well-established procedure to allow armed forces personnel who develop a genuine conscientious objection to further military service to make the transition back to civilian life. Such cases are dealt with first by the individual&#8217;s chain of command and there is an appeal procedure for service personnel if the request to leave is rejected.&#8221;</p>
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