Russia OKs alternative civil service for mobilized believer

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Russia has affirmed the right of a man mobilized to fight in Ukraine to perform an alternative form of civil service due to his stated religious beliefs. The Leningrad Regional Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that deemed the drafting of Pavel Mushumansky unlawful and said he was entitled to fulfill his duty in another way, Mushumansky’s lawyer said. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a call-up of army reservists in September. Although officials said 300,000 men were drafted as planned, the order also spurred tens of thousands of men to flee Russia. Mushumansky’s case sets a precedent that might persuade more reluctant draftees to try to avoid military service.