Lviv court refuses Protestant pastor’s request for unarmed service

Judge's gavel. Photo: open sources

On January 19, 2026, the Lviv District Administrative Court denied a pastor of a Protestant community from the city of Stryi his claim to perform military non-armed service. This is stated in the court ruling published on January 22 in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.

According to the case materials, in June 2025, a clergyman of the religious organization "Religious Community of the Christian Church 'Good News'" was mobilized into the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine as part of the conscription into the country's Defense Forces.

After mobilization, the pastor was assigned to a position that required carrying and using firearms. In connection with this, he appealed to the court demanding a change in service conditions, citing religious beliefs and church canons that prohibit him from taking weapons in his hands.

Having considered the plaintiff's arguments, the court concluded that current legislation does not provide for the possibility of alternative service or non-armed service for persons conscripted through mobilization under martial law conditions, and denied the satisfaction of the stated demands.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in the Lviv region, another "Jehovah's Witness" was convicted for refusing mobilization.

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