On 6 November 2025, a roundtable titled “Freedom to Practice One’s Religion or Beliefs in Wartime: The Right to Alternative Service” was held in Kyiv. The event was co-organised by two Council of Europe Projects: “Support for Ukraine in Implementing Council of Europe Standards in the Judiciary” and “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine.” It brought together representatives of state bodies, academia, legal practitioners, religious studies experts, and international specialists to discuss the current challenges and legal dimensions of exercising the right to alternative (non-military) service during wartime.

The roundtable featured four thematic sessions covering state–church relations under martial law, international standards and comparative practices of alternative service in Europe, legal and constitutional guarantees of conscientious objection in Ukraine, and the role of the judiciary in safeguarding the right to alternative service. Expert presentations were delivered by national and international speakers, including representatives of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience of Ukraine, legal scholars from leading Ukrainian universities, a judge of the Dnipro Administrative Court, and experts of the Council of Europe. Key topics included international legal standards on freedom of religion or belief, models of alternative service in European states such as the United Kingdom, challenges of implementation under Ukrainian law, and recent judicial practice relating to conscientious objection in wartime.

The event provided a platform for in-depth discussion on the protection of fundamental freedoms under conditions of armed conflict, with a particular focus on the state’s obligations to ensure non-discriminatory access to alternative service for individuals whose religious or moral convictions prevent them from carrying arms. Participants highlighted the need for legislative clarity, institutional mechanisms, and judicial safeguards to ensure that Ukraine’s legal framework aligns with international human rights standards. The roundtable concluded with a call for continued expert dialogue and cooperation to strengthen legislative, administrative, and judicial protections for conscientious objection in the context of national defence.

The event was organised under the Council of Europe Projects “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine” and “Support for Ukraine in Implementing Council of Europe Standards in the Judiciary” a component of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026).