For the first time in over eight decades, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces is facing charges of mutiny, which could result in life in prison for stopping vaccine distribution.

Officer Cadet Ladislas Kenderesi, a non-active officer on the Cadet Instructor Supplementary Staff list with the Regional Cadet Support Unit, is being charged with one count of endeavouring to persuade another person to join in a mutiny, as well as one count of behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming of an officer.

Killer Vaccine he said

While speaking at an anti-mask and anti-lockdown rally in Toronto in December 2020, Kenderesi, adorned in full uniform, encouraged his fellow servicemen and women not to distribute what he called a “killer vaccine” and referred to the orders to distribute the vaccine as “unlawful.”

Image source: https://www.nih.gov/

“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.

The Canadian military has been placed in charge of rolling out the Covid-19 vaccine in Canada in an operation that has been dubbed Project Vector.

Kenderesi went on to express his fears of Canada becoming a communist or socialist country. The speech quickly spread across media sharing platforms and was seen by tens of thousands, including members of the Department of National Defence, who promptly launched an investigation. As a result, Kenderesi was removed from duty, but it wasn’t until May 12 that charges were filed against him.

A GoFundMe campaign looking to raise $50,000 for Kenderesi’s legal fees was launched shortly after the charges were announced, referring to the vaccine as “experimental gene therapy” and featuring a video of Kenderesi speaking about the investigation. However, the campaign was taken down after a brief run, pulling in only $500, well short of the desired amount.

Life in Prison

Although Kenderesi could theoretically face life in prison, sources have said that such a strict punishment is highly unlikely. The scandalous behaviour charge could carry a prison sentence of up to five years. Kenderesi does have access to a lawyer provided by the Department of National Defence. As of the time of this writing, a court-martial has not been scheduled.

According to retired colonel and lawyer Michael Drapeau, the last time Canada laid mutiny charges would have been back in the 1940s, in the Royal Canadian Navy. Various lawyers familiar with military law have suggested that Kenderesi’s charges might not have been as severe had he not been wearing his military uniform at the time of the incident. The military was quick to point out that Kenderesi is a reservist, as opposed to an active duty military member.

Despite the efforts of a vocal anti-vaccine movement, more than 50% of Canadians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. However, only 6% of Canada’s population has been fully vaccinated, putting them well behind much of the developed world.

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