Jehovah’s witness in Zakarpattia sentenced to 3 years for refusing mobilization
Illustrative image of mobilization in Ukraine. Photo: TSN
On September 25, 2025, the Rakhiv District Court of Zakarpattia Region sentenced a 45-year-old man to three years in prison for refusing mobilization on religious grounds, TSN reported.
According to the court, the Zakarpattia resident had been deemed fit for military service and in December 2024 received a summons. However, he refused to serve. At the hearing, he stated that he was a bishop of the religious organization “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and could not become a serviceman because of his beliefs.
The clergyman explained that he was ready to do any other kind of work, but could not accept the status of a soldier – the oath, the uniform, and obedience to military orders. The court ruled that current legislation does not permit refusal of mobilization on religious grounds and does not grant the right to alternative service during martial law.
As a result, the man was found guilty under Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced to three years in prison.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Khmelnytskyi Region a man was convicted for refusing mobilization on religious grounds.
Read also
Kyiv Metropolis seeks court-ordered dissolution of DESS
Lawyers representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church argue that the state agency was created unlawfully and are seeking its dissolution over what they describe as pressure on believers.
OCU cleric urges to expel monks from Lavra under "wartime laws"
A cleric of the OCU, Heorhiy Kovalenko, proposed immediately evicting the monastic brotherhood of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra without waiting for final court verdicts.
In Pakistan, Muslim stabs Christian to death following argument over water
In Punjab, a Muslim slit the throat of his Christian colleague after forbidding him from using a shared water cooler on religious grounds.
RCC Cardinal: Europe’s rejection of Christianity will lead to its downfall
Cardinal Gerhard Müller stated that modern Europe is turning into a testing ground for atheistic experiments.
Israel condemns Nazi salutes of "Brotherhood" that seized UOC churches
Diplomats of Israel called on Ukraine to punish radicals for desecrating the memory of Nazi victims in the center of Kyiv.
In Rivne region, TRC abducts UOC cleric of Intercession Monastery
In the Rivne region, police officers brought a cleric of the UOC to the military enlistment office, where he was declared fit for service after a leg operation.