Human rights activists accuse Kyiv of persecuting citizens for refusing to be mobilized on the grounds of religious beliefs

The human rights organization Forum 18 reported an intensification of repression against Ukrainian citizens who refuse to be mobilized on religious grounds. As noted by the human rights organizationForum 18, the authorities have ignored demands to explain the denial of the constitutional right to alternative service.

According to human rights activists, the number of prison sentences handed down to believers who refuse to bear arms has risen significantly. One of the harshest sentences was handed down to 42-year-old Vladimir Klementyev, who was sentenced to six years for “evading conscription” and “desertion,” even though he was not a member of the military. Lawyers call these charges contradictory. Human rights activists sent inquiries to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine but received no response.

The crackdown has affected members of various religious denominations. For example, in the Chernihiv region, two Seventh-day Adventists were each sentenced to five years and one month. In total, since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian courts have handed down 3,811 sentences in cases of draft evasion. Human rights activists also report that hundreds of believers are awaiting trial in pretrial detention centers or are being subjected to physical abuse at training centers. Of particular concern is the death of 50-year-old Baptist Dmitry Koval, whose body was returned to his family bearing signs of brutal mistreatment.

Priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) are also in a vulnerable position, as canon law prohibits them from bearing arms, yet they are not exempt from mobilization.

As a reminder, on June 13, 2026, employees of the Territorial Recruitment Centerdetained Andriy Virny, a deacon at the Church of the Three Saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to his relatives, the clergyman has a valid official deferment from mobilization as the father of three children; however, he was held at the Territorial Recruitment Center and later sent to a military training ground for basic training. There are also reports of insults directed at the deacon and his wife because of their affiliation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.