In the A conscientious objector has been sentenced to three years in prison in Ukraine. The public prosecutor’s office in the Tkachiv district in the west of the country announced yesterday that the 40-year-old had repeatedly failed to comply with summonses to be called up. The man stated that he could not pick up a weapon to kill other people. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
The Constitution of Ukraine allows conscientious objection only on religious grounds. Some Ukrainians try to buy their way out of military service or flee abroad with forged documents. A general ban on leaving the country was imposed on Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 immediately after the Russian invasion.