| Leading Aircraftsman and medic Mohisin Khan, 25, from Ipswich, Suffolk, was punished by the RAF for going absent without leave (AWOL) last year. He absented himself on the grounds of conscientious objection because it was against his religious beliefs. He is challenging his conviction for being AWOL in the High Court. Two High Court judges on Monday heard he was fined nine days' pay by the RAF. The RAF's Summary Appeal Court upheld his conviction. His lawyers say current UK law provides no statutory basis for a reservist who is a conscientious objector to exempt himself from call-up. They will argue that the law is "defective" in not treating conscientious objection as a statutory basis for exemption from military service for reservists. His counsel, Nicholas Blake QC, told the judges that Mr Khan was permitted to resign in 2001 after joining up as a medical assistant in 1999, as "it did not suit him". However, he remained "vulnerable to reserve call-up". When this call-up came, he went absent without leave from RAF Honington in Suffolk. Mr Khan said he had thought he would be sent to Iraq. The RAF maintained the reservist was not going to be sent to Iraq. He had been called up for deployment in the UK in support of personnel who were going out to the country. The hearing is expected to last up to three days. |