Soldier who called on troops to refuse vaccine distribution faces mutiny related charge

Share this Story: Soldier who called on troops to refuse vaccine distribution faces mutiny related charge

Soldier who called on troops to refuse vaccine distribution faces mutiny related charge Photo by Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Article content A soldier who called on his fellow military personnel to refuse helping with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has been charged with an offence related to mutiny. It’s believed to be the first time in decades that the Canadian military has laid such a charge. We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Soldier who called on troops to refuse vaccine distribution faces mutiny related charge Back to video Officer Cadet Ladislas Kenderesi was charged with one count of “endeavoring to persuade another person to join in a mutiny,” an offence under the National Defence Act. Kenderesi was also charged with one count of behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming of an officer. The charges were laid May 12 by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, defence officials told this newspaper. Kenderesi had appeared at an anti-lockdown rally in December in Toronto dressed in his Canadian Forces uniform and speaking out about the COVID-19 vaccine, claiming it was a “killer.” He called on military personnel not to be involved in government plans to distribute the vaccine. “I’m asking military, right now serving, truck drivers, medical, engineers, whatever you are, do not take this unlawful order (for) the distribution of this vaccine,” Kenderesi said at the rally. A video of his speech was posted on YouTube.

Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content Kenderesi, who had a civilian hunting knife strapped to his Canadian Forces uniform and was carrying a non-Canadian helmet, questioned the safety of the vaccine. “I might get in a lot of s— for doing this, but I don’t care anymore,” he said. The crowd cheered his speech. Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said the charges will proceed through the military justice system. “OCdt Kenderesi was removed from performance of military duties following the December, 2020, incident,” Le Bouthillier said. Kenderesi is a member of the Reserve Cadet Instructor Cadre in Borden, ON, according to the Canadian Forces. Kenderesi’s supporters filmed military officials reading the charges against him and posted that to a GoFundMe page for the officer cadet. The page noted Kenderesi “was charged on May 12, 2021, for speaking out against the experimental gene therapy on Dec. 5 at the human rights assembly at Dundas Square in Toronto.”

Article content The page also stated that Kenderesi faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, but defence sources say such punishment is highly unlikely. Kenderesi is also featured in the GoFundMe page video before meeting with Canadian Forces officials. “I’m just saying a small prayer for myself, and a prayer for Canada and Canadians, that hopefully my efforts and what I have done is not in vain,” he stated in that video. The GoFundMe initiative is to collect money for Kenderesi’s legal battle. Le Bouthillier said if he desires, Kenderesi has access at no cost to a lawyer provided by the Department of National Defence. “While the charges have been laid, it is currently in the referral process and no court martial has been scheduled,” he added.

Article content Ottawa lawyer Michel Drapeau said the laying of a charge related to mutiny is unheard of in the Canadian Forces in modern times. “You would likely have to go back to the late 1940s in the Royal Canadian Navy for anything that might be similar,” said Drapeau, a retired colonel who specializes in military law. His book, Military Justice in Action, noted three incidents involving widespread protests against military leadership in the late 1940s. In those cases, Canadian sailors rebelled against incompetent leadership and poor conditions on ships, but the navy avoided using the official term of mutiny. But military personnel were charged and received jail sentences. “An initial search through files in the past 20 years has not found any charges related to endeavoring to persuade another person to join in a mutiny,” Le Bouthillier added.

Article content Organizers of the anti-lockdown rally claimed Kenderesi had served in a variety of units and was qualified as a tank driver, machine-gunner and was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He was introduced as “the original Canadian patriot” and an officer cadet with 25 years of experience. The Cadet Instructors Cadre is part of the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service, a sub-component of the Reserve Force. The primary responsibility of CIC officers is the supervision, administration and training of cadets ranging in age from 12 to 18. Organizers of the rally said Kenderesi was on medical leave from the Canadian Forces at the time he spoke. Kenderesi remains in the military “pending the outcome of the charges,” the Canadian Forces noted. Shortly after the rally in December, Canadian Forces officials retrieved Kenderesi’s uniform and military issued equipment.

Share this article in your social network

Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Ottawa Citizen Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again