Ukrainian Quaker and conscientious objector Yurii Sheliazhenko unlawfully detained for 2 days

Yurii Sheliazhenko, a Quaker from Kyiv, Ukraine was unlawfully detained for two days in mid-March 2026 by military recruitment officers. Yurii was stopped by the officers in the street and forcibly taken to a military recruitment centre where he was held against his will. During his time he was subjected to beatings, was dragged by his feet along the ground and sprayed in the face with pepper spray – all of these happened multiple times. When he asked for medical attention, Yurii was told this was not possible, although he was eventually helped to wash the pepper spray from his face. Yurii’s mobile phone was taken and hasn’t been returned even though this is illegal.

During his detainment he consistently told the people around him that he was a conscientious objector. The people holding him said they did not care and that he would be sent to the army. At times the people holding Yurii were very angry with him and shouted abuse. At one point he was threatened with electric shock treatment. On several occasions the people holding him said he was going to be sent to the army.

Towards the end of his time in captivity Yurii was moved to a territorial conscription centre (TCC), where there were other people who also did not want to join the army for reasons of conscience, that he was able to talk with. From the TCC where he was detained, after many unsuccessful requests to be released, he was eventually allowed to walk to freedom, probably because of the international attention on his case

Since his release Yurii has continued his work supporting other Ukrainian conscientious objectors, even before submitting a complaint about his own treatment.

Despite several official complaints regarding the incident and injuries documented by a forensic medical examination, the police and the State Bureau of Investigation have not started any official investigations yet.

Yurii expresses gratitude to all Friends holding him in the Light. Also, he wrote a complaint to the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets asking him to visit the places where Yurii was detained, and ensure that practice of arbitrary detention and torture is ceased. In the complaint Yurii suggested several measures necessary to prevent cruel treatment in conscription offices, placing public phones there for example, so that people could call relatives, friends or a lawyer, and information boards with contacts of the Commissioner, legal aid and medical services, posters informing about human rights, including right to conscientious objection. Yurii suggested the creation of nonmilitary service for the protection and development of peace in Ukraine and in the world, which might offer to those who refuse to kill a voluntary or mandatory civilian service to society as an alternative to conscription, and proposed changes in legislation to stop cruel attempts of the army to force pacifists to change their religion or beliefs.

Yurii hopes that with growing international awareness Ukrainian legislation will be changed according to recommendations of the European Commission, Council of Europe and the UN OHCHR, so the conscientious objectors will not be subjected to current systemic imprisonment, arbitrary detentions and tortures.

• Worship with the Friends of Ukraine
• Write about this to newspapers in your country
• Write to elected officials in your country asking them to contact their Ukrainian counterparts
• Write to the Ukrainian embassy in your country
• Contact the Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner on human rights about Yurii’s case
• Sign the Action Network petition against his prosecution

Read more about Yurii’s illegal detention on other websites:

European Bureau for Conscientious Objection
Quakers in Britain
Our House, Centre for Human Rights & Relief
War Resisters International

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