In Lviv region, a priest ended up behind bars for refusing to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Фото: Миколаївський обласний ТЦК та СП
In the Lviv region, a court sentenced a man who left a military unit due to religious beliefs, as he is a Jehovah’s Witnesses clergyman.
This is reported by Zaxid.net.
It is noted that this is a native of Melitopol, Gennady B. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
As the court found, the man was mobilized in February 2025. Within a week, he voluntarily left the unit and was out of service until June 2025 — a total of about four months.
During the trial, Gennady B. pleaded not guilty. He explained that he refused to serve due to religious beliefs, as he is a minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to him, he worked at the Leoni factory for about ten years, from where he and other employees were repeatedly taken to the district CCC. There he filed an application for alternative service.
After passing the military medical commission, the man was declared fit for service and sent to a military unit in the Chernihiv region. Later, he was transferred to the RTCC, where he was supposed to work as a cook in the canteen. However, according to the accused, he refused to take the military oath and wear a uniform. He left part of it during a trip to the bank with a representative of the CCC.
In court, the man emphasized that even working as a cook at the RTCC meant for him the status of a military serviceman and the execution of orders, which contradicts his faith. He provided a certificate from the Jehovah’s Witnesses center, which stated that he had been a clergyman since 2010.
Judge Vasyl Borakovskyi found him guilty of desertion and sentenced him to five years in prison. The decision can still be appealed.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian military was warned that after leaving the unit without authorization, they will now only be able to transfer to assault troops.
As reported, a petition was registered on the president’s website to restore the simplified procedure for returning to service for those who voluntarily left the military unit.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.