Today Jehovah’s Witness Volodymyr Baranov was placed to pre-trial detention by Darnitsky District Court of Kyiv, judge Olha Prosalova. The court decided he could be released on the bail 180 000 UAH. It was not a public hearing, I was denied in entering the hearings despite I provided my credentials as a journalist and member of the board of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection. Baranov is charged in disobedience (art 402 of Criminal Code of Ukraine; the crime punishable up to 10 years of prison) after forcibly taken to military unit at ДВРЗ. He is a baptised member of Jehovah’s Witnessess since 2002. Near 10 members of the community waited the outcome of trial outside of court
Term of pre-trial detention is 2 months, maximum allowed, subject to prolongations
The lawyer Nataliya Mikhalchuk defended him, saying that he could not be charged in disobedience to order of military recruiter in a different unit.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report that highlights violations of the human right to conscientious objection to military service, — imprisonment, inhumane treatment and torture of conscientious objectors. One of the Christians, whose conscience forbids killing, was even threatened with cutting off his genitals.
