A Jehovah's Witness in the Lviv region has been sentenced for refusing to be drafted

The Horodok District Court in Lviv Oblast sentenced a 49-year-old coordinator of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation to three years in prison. The reason for the trial was the believer’s refusal to perform military service on the grounds of his religious beliefs, according to zaxid.net.

The incident began in June 2024, when the man received a draft notice after undergoing a medical examination. During the court hearing, the defendant explained that his religious activities—which involved coordinating the congregation and assisting with meetings—prevented him from taking up arms and participating in combat operations. The believer attempted to officially substitute his military service with alternative service but was denied by the Social Protection Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration, which justified its decision by stating that, during martial law, current legislation does not provide for such an option.

Although the man subsequently applied for leave to care for his seriously ill mother—which granted him a legal deferment until 2025—the court deemed his actions to be evasion of conscription. In its ruling, the court relied on the position of the Supreme Court, according to which religious beliefs do not constitute a legal basis for exemption from criminal liability during wartime. As the source notes, this is far from the first such case—since the start of full-scale hostilities, 16 followers of this religious organization have already been sentenced to prison terms for refusing to be mobilized.