In Zaporizhzhia, a believer who refused mobilization gets jail time
The believer is a member of the 'Jehovah's Witnesses'.
A resident of Zaporizhzhia has been sentenced to three years in prison for refusing mobilization on religious grounds, reports Zprz.city. The man received two draft notices, appeared at the military enlistment office (TCC), and underwent a medical examination but refused to join the army. The Khortytsky District Court sentenced him to three years of imprisonment.
It is reported that the convicted man grew up in a religious family: his father was a Catholic, but he himself became a follower of the 'Jehovah's Witnesses'. Relying on advice from acquaintances, he expected to be granted a deferral from service due to his religious beliefs.
However, the military enlistment office deemed him fit for mobilization and issued him a draft notice, which the man refused to sign. When the police arrived for him, he was taken back to the territorial recruitment center, where he again refused to serve.
In court, the man stated that he does not intend to serve in the army due to his religious beliefs but expressed his willingness to assist soldiers as a psychologist after the war. He also noted that he is not afraid of prison and plans to use this time for self-development.
As previously reported, the Supreme Court has outlined criteria by which a person's religious affiliation may serve as grounds for not holding them accountable for "evasion" during mobilization.
