Protestant cleric sentenced in Poltava region for refusing mobilization

A Protestant cleric refused to take up arms. Photo: focus.ua

The Dykanka District Court in the Poltava region found a deacon of the religious organization “Seventh-day Adventist Church” from Zhytomyr region guilty of evading mobilization. This is stated in a decision published in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.

The deacon of the “Seventh-day Adventist Church” was found guilty of evading military conscription during mobilization (Part 1 of Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, suspended with a one-year probation period.

According to case materials, the man, a native of the village of Buchmany in the Zhytomyr region, was declared fit for military service by a military medical commission on September 25, 2024.

That same day, he was issued a summons to appear at the territorial recruitment center for further deployment to a military unit. The man refused to accept the summons, citing his religious beliefs: in accordance with Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, he cannot take up arms or work on Saturdays.

In court, the accused testified that he has been a member of the “Seventh-day Adventist Church” since childhood and was baptized at the age of 18. He stressed that he is not evading his civic responsibilities and is willing to serve his country in an alternative, non-military format. However, current legislation under martial law does not provide for such an option.

According to the law, even for support roles (such as cook, driver, etc.), mobilized individuals must first undergo training that includes weapons drills and taking a military oath – requirements that contradict his religious convictions.

The court found these arguments unconvincing and ruled to convict the man under Part 1 of Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Evasion of conscription for military service during mobilization”) and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment, suspended with a one-year probation period.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that another Jehovah’s Witness was sentenced to imprisonment for refusing mobilization.

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