He Tried to Stop Rollout of 'Killer' Vax. Now, a Mutiny Charge

Canadian soldier Ladislas Kenderesi accused of telling other soldiers not to help with vaccine rollout
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 26, 2021 12:31 PM CDT
Canadian Soldier Hit With Rare Mutiny Charge Over Vaccine
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march during a parade in Calgary, Alberta, on July 8, 2016.   (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada hasn't lodged a mutiny charge against a service member in at least two decades, but that recently changed, with a military reservist now accused of encouraging other members of the armed forces not to distribute the COVID vaccine. Per the country's Department of National Defense, the rare charge was filed against Officer Cadet Ladislas Kenderesi after he appeared in uniform at a Dec. 5 anti-lockdown rally in Toronto, where he railed against the "killer" vaccine and implored his colleagues to help him defy distribution orders, per the Guardian. "I'm asking the military, right now serving, truck drivers, medical, engineers, whatever you are, do not take this unlawful order in distribution of this vaccine," he allegedly proclaimed at the protest. Kenderesi is said to have added that getting the vaccine was "criminal" and "I might get in a lot of s--- for doing this. But I don't care any more."

The Canadian Press reports that a YouTube video from the rally features a man introduced as Kenderesi and wearing a name tag with the same name making those comments. The Canadian Armed Forces, which has been instrumental in distributing the vaccine via Operation Vector, says Kenderesi's uniform "was retrieved in December 2020" and that he was charged May 12 by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, per Global News. Charges against Kenderesi include "endeavoring to persuade another person to join in a mutiny" and "behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming of an officer," say officials. The maximum sentence for mutiny is life in prison, though experts say it's not likely that's the sentence Kenderesi will see. The scandalous conduct charge could earn Kenderesi up to five years behind bars. (More anti-vaccination stories.)

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