CAF officer apologizes for anti-vax comments
OTTAWA • A Canadian Armed Forces officer who publicly urged other military members to disobey orders and not help distribute COVID-19 vaccines apologized Thursday, saying he regretted his actions and “public display of disloyalty.”
Officer Cadet Laszlo Kenderesi delivered the apology at the start of his court martial where he was to be tried on three charges, including one of endeavouring to persuade another person to join in a mutiny.
However, military prosecutors told the court shortly after the start of Kenderesi’s trial at Canadian Forces Base Borden that they had withdrawn the mutiny charge, which carried a maximum penalty of up to life in prison.
A short time later, Kenderesi pleaded guilty to one charge of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline before entering a not-guilty plea to the third charge of behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming an officer.
The charges relate to a speech at an anti-lockdown rally in Toronto’s Dundas Square on Dec. 5, 2020, in which Kenderesi appeared in full military uniform and spoke out against what he called “killer” vaccines.
IT WAS NOT MY PLACE TO QUESTION THE ORDERS OF THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
“I’m calling upon all military personnel to do the same, not to accept any unjust orders, which would be giving out and distributing vaccines,” Kenderesi told rally participants, according to a transcript read in court.
A video of his comments was later published online.
The Armed Forces had only days earlier received orders to start planning for the distribution of vaccines across the country, as Health Canada entered the final stages of reviewing vaccine candidates from Pfizer and Moderna.
On Thursday, Kenderesi expressed remorse for his actions as military judge Cmdr. Martin Pelletier prepared to sentence the 60-year-old cadet instructor following his guilty plea to conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.
“It was wrong for me to present myself as a Canadian Armed Forces member to publicly express my private views,” Kenderesi said. “I abused the trust that comes with the privilege of wearing the Canadian Armed Forces uniform. I’m sorry.”
He later added: “It was not my place to question the orders of the chain of command. I breached the core principle of service by not supporting the lawful authority of the chain of command. I’m ashamed of my public display of disloyalty.”
In a separate affidavit read into the record, court heard Kenderesi was born and grew up in Hungary while that country was under the Soviet Union’s influence, and that the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 affected him both emotionally and financially.
Besner and Gelinas-proulx agreed in asking that Pelletier sentence Kenderesi to a severe reprimand and $4,200 fine. They added the officer cadet has already served 80 hours of community service.