In Odesa region, Jehovah's Witness sentenced to three years for draft evasion
A resident of the Odesa region who practices the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses received a real prison sentence due to his refusal to perform military service based on his convictions.
A resident of the village of Velyka Mykhailivka, Odesa region, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for evading military service. This was reported by the resource "Dumska".
The man, who is a follower of Jehovah's Witnesses, was declared fit for service after a medical commission in April 2025. He claimed in court that he did not evade his duties, having registered for military service and passed the commission, but refused to take up arms. According to him, he could not violate "God's laws" when they were contradicted by "human laws." The court did not consider these arguments sufficient for granting alternative service and issued a real sentence.
As the UOJ reported, in Ukraine, real sentences are given for refusing service based on convictions. Previously, similar cases were recorded in Zakarpattia, Volyn, and Lviv regions, where believers, mainly Jehovah's Witnesses, received prison sentences after refusing to perform military service and being unable to obtain alternative civilian service during wartime.
