From the Office of the Lucid Founder, Unified State
Kyiv, Ukraine — 1 September 2025 • 11:45 EEST (UTC+3)

Conscience, Mobilization, and the Line Between Duty and Domination in Ukraine

Executive Summary

Ukraine’s prolonged wartime mobilization now combines (a) indefinite service with no statutory demobilization cap, (b) no functional wartime alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors, and (c) escalating punitive enforcement. Taken together—and in the context of unprecedented civilian harm—this framework risks crossing from lawful civic duty into prohibited forced labour and approaches a slavery-like relationship over the person unless urgently corrected. This brief sets out the legal baselines, the most current facts, and a concrete, rights-anchored package of minimum protections that any rule-of-law democracy should maintain even under attack.

What the Law Requires

• Forced labour ban & the military exception: International law excludes “service of a military character” from the forced-labour ban (ICCPR Art. 8(3)(c)(ii); ECHR Art. 4(3)(b); ILO C29 Art. 2(2)(a)). (ohchr.org, echr.coe.int, normlex.ilo.org)
• But conscience is protected: The ECtHR Grand Chamber holds that conscientious objection (CO) falls under ECHR Art. 9 (freedom of thought, conscience, religion): Bayatyan v. Armenia (2011). States must offer genuine, civilian, non-punitive alternative service; objectors may not be forced to bear arms. The Venice Commission’s Mar 2025 amicus for Ukraine’s Constitutional Court reaffirms that CO “cannot be completely excluded even in war.” (hudoc.echr.coe.int, hudoc.echrcoe.int, coe.int)
• UN position: OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Committee ground CO in ICCPR Art. 18 and call for non-discriminatory access to alternative service. (ohchr.org, ecoi.net)

Where Things Stand

A. Indefinite service & mobilization changes

Draft age lowered from 27→25 (2 Apr 2024); broader mobilization overhaul passed 11 Apr 2024/came into force 18 May 2024. A proposed 36-month demobilization cap and rotation rules were removed from the final text. (reuters.com, reuters.com, apnews.com, apnews.com, atlanticcouncil.org)

B. Martial law extensions (democratic checks under strain)

Martial law and general mobilization were extended again: from 07 Aug 2025 for 90 days (to 05 Nov 2025). (rada.gov.ua, ukrinform.net, suspilne.media)

C. Real-world stress signals: mass AWOL/desertion caseloads

Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) data via mainstream outlets show a steep surge in cases under Art. 407 CCU (самовільне залишення частини/місця служби—absent without official leave but without intent to desert.) and Art. 408 (desertion)

• Cumulative >200,000 Art. 407 and ~50,000 Art. 408 since 2022. (pravdacom.ua, hromadske.ua, babel.ua, censor.net)
• Return mechanism: thousands who left units have returned to service under simplified pathways. (interfax.com.ua, pravda.com.ua)

D. Harsher penalties (less judicial leniency)

Law No. 8271 (Jan 2023) tightened punishment for wartime military offences and bars courts from softening sentences for key articles, including 407 and 408, under martial law—documented by Ukrainian legal and mainstream sources. (cs.detector.media, nako.org.ua, ukrinform.ua)

E. Civilian-harm context (ethical urgency)

OHCHR: June 2025 recorded 1,575 civilian casualties (232 killed; 1,343 injured)—the highest monthly total in three years; July 2025 rose further to 1,674 (286 killed; 1,388 injured).(ukraine.ohchr.org, ukraine.ohchr.org, ukraine.ohchrorg)

Rights-Anchored Minimum Protections

1. Recognize wartime conscientious objection with civilian, non-military, non-punitive alternative service (administratively accessible and available on religious and non-religious grounds).
2. Legislate a clear demobilization horizon (e.g., maximum term with rotations) to end open-ended service created when the 36-month clause was dropped.
3. Re-introduce judicial proportionality for non-violent military offences (e.g., first-time Art. 407 SZCh) instead of blanket no-mitigation rules under 8271.
4. Transparent monthly justice dashboards: filings, convictions, dismissals, returns to service (DBR/OPG), and CO applications/approvals/denials.
5. Independent oversight over recruitment centers and unit-level conditions; formalized safe return pathways for those who left under duress.
6. Pair manpower policy with civilian-harm reduction targets and reporting (consistent with OHCHR monitoring).

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Moral Rationale in One Line

When a state claims continuous control over a person’s body and time, denies conscience, and removes a lawful exit, duty mutates into a slavery-like condition. Law warns against exactly this trajectory—and provides the tools to stop it.

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Yours faithfully,

Lucid Founder – Michael Tulsky

on behalf of the Unified State

Kyiv | 1 September 2025