Lawyer explains what priests who have not arranged a deferment should do
Father Nikita Chekman urged clergy to check their grounds for deferment in advance and to properly arrange it before mobilization.
The lawyer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, drew the attention of clergy to cases where they have a legally provided right to a deferment from mobilization but have not, for one reason or another, properly arranged it.
«There have been increasing cases of clergy being mobilized who have the right to a deferment under the law, but for one reason or another have not properly arranged it», – said the lawyer.
According to the lawyer, in such a situation a clergyman may be mobilized on general grounds. Moreover, once mobilized, a person acquires the status of a serviceman, and different legal norms apply to discharge from military service than those governing the granting of a deferment.
In this regard, Father Nikita urged priests not to neglect their right to a deferment and to sort out the procedure for arranging it in advance. «If you do not know whether you are entitled to a deferment, you can contact the hotline», – the lawyer noted.
According to him, lawyers are ready to examine the specific situation of a clergyman, identify the available grounds for a deferment, and provide practical recommendations on how to properly arrange it.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported, Archpriest Nikita Chekman stated that lawyers continue to provide consultations to clergy and their relatives on matters of mobilization. The hotline on mobilization issues for clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has already received 64 inquiries from clerics and members of their families.
At the indicated phone number +38 (093) 000-84-42, clergy receive round-the-clock consultations on matters of conscription, military service, and the protection of their rights in contacts with representatives of territorial recruitment centers (TRC) and other state bodies.
