British Navy Medic Michael Lyons is serving 7 months detention at Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) after he applied for conscientious objector status (which was later refused) and subsequent to this application refused to take part in rifle training. Michael Lyons stated at his court martial that he had been influenced by information on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq disclosed by WikiLeaks, material which Bradley Manning is accused of leaking:
Photo/ More info this link ............
 http://wiseupforbradleymanning.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/vigil-for-michael-lyons-6-agust/

CONTENTS
1) Financial support for Michael and Lillian Lyons
2) Write support to Michael Lyons in Coclester military prison.
3) A Message from Lillian Lyons

1) Thanks to generosity of 3 donors, we were able to forward 80 quid on to Michael and Lillian Lyons. If you wish to make a donation to defray costs associated with Michael's incarceration (eg. It is a 700 mile round trip for Michael’s wife Lillian to visit him in Colchester) you can make a cheque out to “London Catholic Worker”, write “Lyons” on the back of the cheque and send it to “Michael Lyons Support” c/o Giuseppe Conlon House, 49 Mattison Rd, Harringay, London N4 1BG.

2). Solidarity letters/postcards can be sent directly to Michael Lyons at this address: 236 Michael Lyons, D Company, MCTC, Berechurch Hall Rd, Colchester CO2 9MU (England).

3) A Message From Lillian Lyons........
It is important for both Michael and I to let you know just how much we appreciate the overwhelming support and whilst My husband is locked up in Military prison every message, letter and show of face means the world to us and is really helping us to get through this crazy time in our lives.

I am sure most of you know why Michael has been punished by the Royal Navy so I won't waste your time regurgitating the details of his case, the intimidating Court Martials and the legality of his defence.

Instead I will tell you a bit about how Michael's conscience led him to a incredibly unjust sentence.

Mike has served as a Medic in the Submarine service for nearly 7 years. It sounds cliche but he really did join up because he thought he could help people. In fact he saw an advert on TV of a Navy Medic jumping out of a helicopter giving humanitarian aid in an unnamed war zone. The medic wasn't carrying any weapons just a box with a big red cross on it. He was sold.

He had just turned 18, he had no knowledge of current affairs, the legality of the war or any war for that matter. I guess you could say he was naive and he'd probably agree but who wasn't at that age?

Mike was never going to stay in the Military, and as he grew up and matured this was certain.

Two years ago he started to ask his superiors about notice periods and was told February 2011 would be the earliest time he could give a years notice. I think this was somewhat prompted by his initial learnings of the political reasons behind the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Slowly he developed a keen interest in the issues facing the countries involved in these invasions and i guess you could say this snowballed, the deeper he dug, the more he read the more detached he became from his job, his employers and his colleagues.

In march 2010 he was given an order to deploy to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan leaving on the 30th March 2011.

His initial reaction was shock, he had made it quite clear to His superiors he was planning to give his notice and they also knew Mike's opinion on specifically the ongoing Afghan War but despite this he still felt he had a sense of duty and so we started to plan for his deployment.

A Message From Lillian Lyons CONTINUED ON THIS LINK........
 http://veteransforpeaceuk.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/a-message-from-lillan-lyons/