A serious breach of democratic norms is unfolding in D.C right now. Senator Mark Kelly (Arizona) is being threatened with a court-martial for restating one of the most basic pillars of U.S. military law: American service members must refuse illegal orders.

This principle isn’t controversial. It is the bedrock of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, reaffirmed after My Lai, Abu Ghraib, and decades of military ethics reforms.

Punishing an elected official for stating settled law is a direct strike at democratic oversight.

Tell your U.S. Senators: Defend the rule of law.

Stand with Senator Kelly and publicly reaffirm that service members are obligated to refuse illegal orders.

Why This Matters

My Lai and Abu Ghraib taught the United States important lessons: unchecked authority and unlawful orders lead to catastrophic abuses. In their aftermath, the military rewrote its training, ethics doctrine, and legal code to ensure that refusing illegal orders is a duty, not a choice. Retaliating against Senator Kelly for stating this bedrock principle risks unraveling safeguards forged through tragedy.

And now, those very safeguards are being tested. In recent weeks, the administration has:

• Attempted to initiate court-martial proceedings against a sitting senator for restating long-standing UCMJ obligations.
• Pressured military legal channels to treat lawful statements as “insubordination.”
• Sought to chill public discussion about unlawful orders and civil-military boundaries.
• Undermined confidence in the independence of military justice.

These actions threaten the core guardrails that protect democratic governance.

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Take Action Now

Call your Senators and urge them to publicly affirm that service members must refuse unlawful orders, and to reject any political retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly. Find a script for your call, and numbers below:

📞 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: +1 (202) 224-3121

>> Find your senators

Call Script

Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I’m a constituent living abroad in [COUNTRY], voting in [CITY/STATE].

I’m calling to urge [OFFICIAL’S NAME] to publicly reaffirm a core principle of U.S. military law: that service members are obligated to refuse illegal orders.

Senator Mark Kelly is facing retaliatory action for restating this long-standing legal duty. This politicization of military justice is dangerous and undermines congressional oversight.

I’m asking the Senator to:

1. Support a public statement or Senate resolution affirming the duty to refuse illegal orders; and
2. Oppose any improper use of military legal processes against elected officials who defend the rule of law.

This is essential for democratic accountability! Thank you.

(If leaving voicemail: include your full U.S. voting address so your call is counted.)

Share with your community - on social media & in chats

In this dangerous moment, it’s vital that we ALL stand up and support Senator Kelly. Strength in fighting for the rule of law comes when many people stand shoulder to shoulder with our fighters.

Please consider reaching out to your community and ask that they share this simple statement with their families and friends and on their social networks too:

“Members of the military must refuse illegal orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes that clear.”

Resources

• Military Law Task Force: FAQ on Refusing Illegal Orders
• Bloomberg Law: Trump Has It Wrong: Soldiers Must Disobey Unlawful Orders