I thought it was instructive that the one person was not an actual member of a church at this time, and that is causing him some problem.
“Some Ukrainians refuse to take up arms due to religious beliefs — interview”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukrainians-r ... 00395.html
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and Ukrainian members of several other religious organizations refuse to take up arms even during the ongoing existential war. NV spoke to two such conscientious objectors to examine how they attempt reconcile the need to defend their country with pacifist religious beliefs.
…So, I left those meetings and now I’m in contact with meetings in the United States and one near Odesa. But as of now, I’m not yet a member of their congregation.
…
The court sentenced me to one year in prison [for evading mobilization]. It was followed by an appeal and a three-year suspended sentence.
The fact that I’m not currently a parishioner played against me. Of course, I could just take that certificate from a pastor, it’s very easy as I know many of them in the city. But I deliberately decided not to do this.
It’s important that the court recognized that I’m a religious person, despite the lack of supporting documents. And the appellate court took into account that I’m a family man, I have two young children, I work two jobs, and I really have contacts with local churches.