The last word of the defendant Boris Simonenko in Kovrov

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Boris Simonenko in Kovrov

July 28, 2023

Orenburg region

In his last word, the believer relies on the common sense of the judicial system and its impartiality: "During this trial, I constantly have to prove that I am not a criminal... a person who does not deserve punishment… My religious views directly contradict hatred and enmity."

Transcript of the court session in the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir region dated 07/28/2021 in the case 1-19/2023 (1-417/2022) on the charge of Boris Nikolaevich Simonenko of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Simonenko Boris Nikolaevich:

Dear Court! First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to you, Your Honor, for your attentive, respectful and friendly attitude towards me throughout the entire process. It is clear that you are unbiased, this gives me hope for a fair solution in this difficult case.

Separately, I would like to highlight what you gave to speak out, allowed you to examine the case materials in detail. Thank you for allowing my friends to be present, and for satisfying many petitions.

Also, many thanks for the hard work of the secretary. Special thanks to the prosecution — Denis Viktorovich — for the fact that no pressure was exerted on me and enough material was provided from the transcripts, where the name of God, Jehovah, and many faith-strengthening quotes from the Bible sounded. It's nice that you pronounced this name of God correctly. I see that you have no prejudice or anger towards me personally, nor towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. Thank you for that.

Thanks to lawyer Evgeny Sergeyevich Zheglov. Thank you for giving me good advice, for being a support for me, for not being silent when you heard a lie. In your circumstances, you have done more than you could. I am sure that your efforts will not go unnoticed by the God I worship.

I want to express my gratitude to my friends who have supported me and my family all this time. Real friends are those who are there in a difficult moment. I wish everyone to have such friends. I know that they prayed for me and came to the court to support me, sacrificing their time. It gave me strength. Your willingness to openly show your love and support to someone who is accused of committing a crime is worth a lot and requires courage.

Special thanks to my dear wife, Ida, who supported me and helped me all this time. Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who will find a virtuous wife? Its price is higher than pearls." I am very grateful to you that I have you. A day is not enough to list how much you have done and continue to do to support me and help me.

Of course, the greatest gratitude is to my heavenly Father, Jehovah God, who fills my heart with peace and joy. During this period, Jehovah opened up to me as a protector, a comforter, a loving Father who can make unexpected gifts to his children. While in jail, I realized that it was impossible to isolate from Jehovah. My father took into account even those of my needs that might seem unimportant to someone. For example, I was given the opportunity to read the Bible, receive letters of support from all over the world, talk to other cellmates about God and see their interest.

Thanks to this situation, my wife and I appreciated even more the support of devoted friends and God, realized how happy we are. We don't feel like victims. On the contrary, my faith and the faith of my family has been strengthened.

Unfortunately, I have to prove the obvious in this court. For example, I, a person without a legal education, have to explain and prove to the court the obvious that a legal entity and an individual are not the same thing. And also that reading the Bible and talking about it with other people are not extremist actions.

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, in its Plenum Resolution No. 11 of June 28, 2011 "On Judicial practice in criminal cases of extremist crimes", in order to avoid unfounded accusations of citizens, made an important clarification that criticism of religious associations, beliefs, customs in itself should not be considered as an action aimed at inciting hatred or enmity (item 7).

Alexander Ruvimovich Ratinov, an outstanding scientist, one of the founders of Russian legal and criminal psychology, Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Scientist of Russia, in his work "Responsibility for inciting hostility and hatred" pointed out that "Preference for one's own religion, "perception" of its unique and only true is the cornerstone of almost any religious systems, as well as the assessment of other religions as "wrong" or "not leading to salvation"."

Since the article on which I am being tried is absolutely not comparable to the actions that I am accused of as allegedly extremist, it is quite obvious to me, as a sane person, that I am being tried and persecuted only for my beliefs and my faith. So what do I believe in that I'm being persecuted for it?

After getting acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses, I learned from the Bible that the Creator has a name — Jehovah. I get the impression that it is for this name that I am being persecuted.

Yes, I believe in God, and his name is Jehovah, because it is written in the Bible. For example, in the book of Exodus, chapter 15, verse 3, in the Synodal translation, that is, the translation approved by the Synod of the Orthodox Church, it says: "The Lord is a man of war, Jehovah is His name." And this is not the only place in the Bible where the name of God occurs. Am I to blame for the fact that Jehovah is the name of God, our Creator, which he gave himself and which is written in his letter to people — the Bible? It's not my fault. I use this name when I address him in prayer, because that's what my God wants.

However, it seems that law enforcement agencies consider everything connected with the name Jehovah to be extremist. Perhaps they think that this name was invented by Jehovah's Witnesses, since they talk about it everywhere. But does this correspond to reality? This name is known all over the world and was widely used in the works of world literature and by many Russian classics centuries ago. For example, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin used this name (in the form of Egov) in his work "From a Letter to Vigel" (1823). In addition, it is found in the works of such famous writers as Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Chekhov and many others.

Are these writers, as well as people who read the Bible and use the name of God, extremists? Of course not. This statement also applies to me. I'm not an extremist. Moreover, I have every right to use the name of God in worshipping him and to speak now before the court, speaking about him.

If it's not about the name of God, but simply that I am a Jehovah's Witness, then the fact is that faith in God is not an empty sound for me, it is an integral part of my life and myself. Therefore, it is absolutely unthinkable for me to abandon my beliefs, faith in God and worship him. After all, this is what makes my life happy.

In his Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus taught what happiness depends on. And it's not just about the joy of a long-awaited purchase or a pleasant pastime. True happiness is a deeper feeling. This is a state of contentment, contentment, joy from the fullness of life.

According to the words of Christ, true happiness is brought by what is associated with the worship of God and the fulfillment of God's promises that he gave. For example, Jesus said in verse 3, "Blessed [or happy] are those who are aware of the spiritual need for God." Reading the Bible, I gain knowledge about him, and also find answers to questions that concern not only me, but also many people around the world, for example: what do we live for? why is there so much suffering in the world? Who is God? what hope is there for the dead? and many others. It helps me lead a truly meaningful life.

I have seen for myself that the satisfaction of spiritual needs really makes me really happy. And this happiness is directly related to a close relationship with God, which only a believer can have. God, in turn, gives hope, without which it is simply impossible to be happy. In addition, this hope is inextricably linked with the main theme of the entire Bible and the teachings of Jesus about the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus even taught people to pray for this Kingdom. Thus, in the prayer "Our Father", which is widely known to many people, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9, 10, the following is said: "Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Millions of believers on earth know this prayer and say the words from it over and over again. But what are they asking for? What is the Kingdom of God?

According to the Bible, this is not just a place in heaven, but it is the government of God headed by his appointed king, Jesus Christ, with the help of whom God intends to establish peace on earth. A world in which his will would be fulfilled. A world in which there are no wars, misfortunes and extremism. This is how God himself speaks about this time through his Word, the Bible. Revelation John 21:4 says the following: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; there will be no more crying, no more crying, no more sickness; for the former has passed away." Please imagine how wonderful it is — a world where there is no place for violence, injustice and prejudice, disease and even death! That is, everything that people suffer from day by day today. And this is what God promises us.

The knowledge of his promise encourages me to show obedience to God's laws even today. So he demands that God's servants treat others with love and respect, be honest, hardworking, in other words, lead a way of life far from extremism and hatred of others.

In fact, these court sessions helped me gain even more confidence and courage. They did not happen because I committed a crime, but because Jesus said so: "If I have been persecuted, you will also be persecuted" (John 15:20). "You will be put on trial ... and will be brought before rulers and kings because of me, so that they will hear about me" (Mark 13:9). I am not surprised by what is happening today. This is not an assumption of Jesus, but a statement. He said it without a shadow of a doubt. His words "the glad tidings of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole earth" (Matthew 24:14) are fulfilled along with those recorded in 2 Timothy 3:12: "All followers of Christ Jesus who want to faithfully serve God will be persecuted." Today, these prophecies are becoming reality right before our eyes.

I didn't kill anyone, I didn't steal anything from anyone, I didn't even have a fight with anyone. Nevertheless, the prosecution asks for 6 years in prison. If you look at the current situation from the point of view of an unbeliever, you can despair. But as a Jehovah's Witness, I look at this situation through the eyes of faith. If God allows me to be judged, then I need to regard this as a special assignment to serve in new circumstances, so I do not despair. The Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians says: "You have been honored not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake." These words help me not to give up and remind me that it is a great honor to give testimony in this way.

Christians have been persecuted since the advent of Christianity. Jesus warned that people would falsely say all the bad things about his followers (Matthew 5:11, 12). People slandered Jesus Christ, lied about the Christians of the first century, and today I see a similar attitude towards myself and my co-religionists. However, Jesus added: "You are happy when you are insulted, persecuted and slandered because of me. Rejoice and rejoice, because a great reward awaits you in heaven! After all, they also persecuted the prophets who were before you." Why did Jesus say "rejoice and rejoice"? Of course, there is nothing pleasant in the persecution itself, but a Christian can rejoice that the name of God is glorified in this way.

Another reason for joy is that during the persecution our friendship with Jehovah becomes stronger. When a Christian remains faithful in trials, he feels that God Jehovah approves of him, his confidence in God is strengthened, and his joy grows.

Even Jesus Christ, a sinless man, found himself in the dock. What was he accused of? We know from the Bible that Jesus Christ maintained political neutrality: He did not join political parties of that time, did not interfere with the rule of the Romans over Judea, did not call for an uprising and overthrow of power, but performed only what was entrusted to him by his Father, Jehovah God — he proclaimed the good (joyful) news of the Kingdom of God to all people.

However, in modern terms, he was accused of extremism, of speaking out against the authorities. Here is what is written in the Gospel of Luke 23:13, 14: "Then Pilate called together the senior priests, the rulers and the people and said: "You have brought this man to me and claim that he incites the people to revolt. I interrogated him in front of you and saw that he was not guilty of what you accuse him of."

There have been many cases in the history of God's people when powerful rulers have tried to silence the servants of God, but Jehovah has always stood up for his people. And if he allowed persecution, he gave them the strength to endure it.

So, for example, 2,700 years ago, the enemies of the prophet Daniel achieved the publication of a law forbidding to make a request to any god or person other than the king within thirty days. Daniel realized that this was an encroachment on his relationship with Jehovah God. Has he stopped praying for 30 days? On the contrary, "Daniel, as soon as he learned that the decree was signed, went to his house. The windows in his upper room facing Jerusalem were open. He continued to kneel three times a day, pray and praise his God, as he had done before" (Daniel 6:6-17). Today, Jehovah's Witnesses also cannot allow anyone other than God to tell them how to worship him.

To forbid a person to believe is the same as to forbid breathing. But someone will say: "You believe and believe in silence, why bother others?" In the past, Jehovah God revealed to Noah that he intended to bring a Flood to the earth, and instructed him to warn people. In the same way, today the servants of God... want to warn all people about future events and how to survive them.

I'll give you an example: if a fire starts in the house at night, how to evaluate the actions of someone who just quietly left it, taking all the documents, insurance on the house, then to build a new house and live in it? And what would you say about the actions of another person who, upon learning about the fire, shouted, warning people about the danger? Would it be right to accuse the latter of hooliganism, because he made noise at night, disturbed sleeping people?

The Bible says that God "does not want anyone to perish." He gives people the opportunity to learn his plan and become his close friends. As recorded in John 3:16, he gives every person a chance to be saved. How can I hide the Creator's plan from people? How can I not tell them how wonderful life will be very soon, and what they need to do to live in these conditions? Accurate knowledge of God's intentions encourages me to share the good news with others. This is the love for all people shown by God and his servants. Could it be called love to conceal from people the knowledge on which their lives depend? Of course not. Silence would be a sign of selfishness and indifference.

The situation with the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses today reminds me of the words from 2 Corinthians 4:8: "We are oppressed from all sides, but we are not cornered, we are at a loss, but our situation is not hopeless." It says here that God's servants will be oppressed and persecuted, but the work of preaching that the Lord Jesus entrusted to them will not just continue, it will gain momentum and expand.

Jesus Christ commanded all those who consider themselves his followers: "Go and prepare disciples in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And I will be with you every day until this world comes to its end" (Matthew 28:19, 20). He said he would be with the students "every day" in this case. Therefore, to interfere with the work of preaching is like an ant getting on the rails and trying to stop a train.

The spirit of Jehovah constantly guides Christians and gives them strength beyond the ordinary, helping them to fulfill the tasks assigned by God, despite the pressure they face. Those who persecute Jehovah's Witnesses, apparently, do not know the history well.

There is a saying: "you can't see the forest behind the trees." This is what they say about someone who is too focused on the details and does not see the situation as a whole. A lot depends on the point of view, a lot. To see the full picture is to remember the question of the supreme power of our Creator. Jehovah, the Lord of the universe, sees the full picture. In the full picture, there is always a plan of Jehovah.

True worship will never disappear. Any apparent victory over God's people is temporary. If we look into the past, we will be convinced of this. Many people are familiar with the story of the ten executions in Egypt, about what Jehovah did to bring his people out of slavery. To go to Pharaoh and ask him to let people go was like going into a lion's den and snatching prey from his mouth. But for Moses, the visible, formidable ruler was less real than the invisible Jehovah. The knowledge received from God and the ability to reflect helped Moses to "see" Jehovah, to grasp the full picture with his eyes. The Egyptian pharaohs considered themselves gods. This explains why Pharaoh so stubbornly refused to listen not only to the prophets of God, Moses and Aaron, but even to his priests. Of course, the proud Pharaoh did not even suspect that he was fulfilling the will of Jehovah.

There is a similar example in modern history: in Hitler's Germany, the servants of God were subjected to particularly cruel persecution — for their devotion to Jehovah, his Witnesses were among the first to be in concentration camps. Although Jehovah's Witnesses adhered to political neutrality, for religious reasons they refused to pronounce "Heil Hitler", support racism and violence, and join the ranks of the Wehrmacht. Of the 35,000 Witnesses living in European countries under the yoke of the Nazis, more than a third were directly persecuted. Most of them were arrested, hundreds of their children were sent to orphanages or given to Nazi families. About 4,200 Jehovah's Witnesses ended up in Nazi concentration camps. The most prominent historian Detlef Garbe wrote: "The leaders of the NS (Nazis) spoke directly about the need to erase Bible scholars from German history."

In the Soviet Union, the peak of repression occurred in April 1951, when more than 8,000 people were taken from the Western republics to Siberia during an operation codenamed "North". For decades, until the collapse of the Soviet Union, believers were sentenced to long prison terms for allegedly anti-Soviet activities or recognized as "enemies of the people." In the early 1990s, the repressed Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized as victims and rehabilitated by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, nowadays history repeats itself. The government changed, the laws changed and those who were accused of a crime were rehabilitated.

Today, history repeats itself. Only the term "anti-Soviet activity" was replaced by "extremist activity". And the activity itself has not changed: This is still Bible study and joint worship. In Soviet times, if you believe in God, you are a criminal; if you have a Bible or just a few pages from it, you are an enemy. Today, if you believe in a way that someone might not like, you are a criminal. And the Bible itself, according to some, has become "extremist material."

Jehovah's Witnesses have long been trying to exterminate or force them to abandon their beliefs, their faith. This was the case in Nazi Germany, in the Soviet Union, and under various dictatorial regimes. Here is what religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko said about this: "If history can teach something, it teaches that Jehovah's Witnesses have suffered their right to worship God freely as they wish."

All these persecutions did not break the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. I liked how one analyst familiar with the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR put it: "Fighting with Jehovah's Witnesses is like blowing on a dandelion — the stronger the pressure on them, the farther and thicker their seeds fly."

If you look at the picture as a whole, with spiritual vision, then in the thirties of the last century, God's servants faced an impossible task — to cover the entire Soviet Union with a sermon about the Kingdom of God. But since Christ is in charge of this matter, he turned the events so that the government of the USSR, by sending thousands of families of Jehovah's Witnesses into exile, itself contributed to the spread of their message throughout Siberia and the farthest corners of the country. In this situation, the expression applies to Jehovah's Witnesses: "They tried to bury us, but they did not know that we were seeds."

Where is Hitler now? Where is Stalin? Where is the mighty Pharaoh? Does anyone even know the name of this Pharaoh who tried to destroy the people of God? Here are the figures: 72,000 Witnesses were all over the earth before the Second World War, 156,000 Jehovah's Witnesses became after it, despite the persecution. And now there are more than 8.5 million Jehovah's Witnesses, and they continue the work that Jesus entrusted to them. This once again confirms the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Any weapon created against [God's servants] will be useless" (Isaiah 54:17). Moreover, in the second part of this verse it is said that Jehovah himself will sort out the judicial case of his servants: ""Anyone who accuses you will be condemned. This is the inheritance of Jehovah's servants. I consider them righteous," says Jehovah."

In the Bible, Jehovah is called a judge, in a sense, you and him, Your Honor, colleagues. But only he is the Judge of the whole earth. This reminds us of the responsibility that each person bears for his actions before God. For me, the main thing is to be justified in the eyes of Jehovah, not people.

In Jeremiah 1:19, Jehovah assures his servant, "They will fight with you, but they will not overcome you, because Jehovah says, 'I am with you to save you.'" The outcome of this struggle is known. Opponents are fighting with God, you can only sympathize with them.

I recall an episode described in the Acts of the Apostles. Christians were tried on false charges. One of the judges of the Supreme Jewish Court of the Sanhedrin told his colleagues about them: "Leave these people, do not touch them. After all, if this plan or business is from people, then it will be destroyed, if from God, you will not be able to destroy it. Otherwise, it may turn out that you are fighting with God himself" (Acts 5:38, 39). Today, as then, Jehovah can encourage famous people to stand up for his people. With his spirit, Jehovah can encourage influential rulers, judges and legislators to act in accordance with his will. But if he allows us to suffer for righteousness, then we can be sure of the following: first, God can give us the strength to endure everything, and secondly, no one can destroy the work of God. Those who are now in prison are doing well, because Jehovah is with them. No walls can separate us from our father Jehovah.

Not only my future depends on the court's decision, but also the future of my family and the future, in fact, of any citizen convicted on false charges. But I believe that every person, if he tries to keep his mind clear in order to consider all the evidence, will be able to make a fair decision, which will be influenced by the norms of law prescribed in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and universal values.

The court is rightly called the conscience of the state. I would very much like the verdict of this trial to strengthen confidence in the entire judicial system, showing that punishment is imposed only for real crimes, as it should be in a state governed by the rule of law. During this trial, I constantly have to prove that I am not a criminal, that you are facing a person who does not deserve punishment. I want it to become clear to everyone: justice and common sense exist.

Dear Court, Your Honor, how could I fulfill Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, exercise my right to profess religion individually and jointly with others and at the same time not be criminally punishable? Who will answer this question for me? The coin has two sides, but the prosecution has only seen one and refuses to look at the other.

So, what am I being judged for? What am I to blame for? Is it that someone thinks that I am studying the Bible "incorrectly"? Or is it that I consider my faith to be the only true one? Or am I guilty of not resorting to violence, following the gospel commandment "put the sword in the scabbard" (John 18:11)? Accusing Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism is absurd and wild.

Your Honor, I ask you to face the facts objectively and unbiasedly. I am not guilty before the state, before people, or before God. My conscience is clear. It is in your power to put an end to these groundless persecutions. As you could see by examining the materials of this case, I simply profess religious views that are not prohibited by law, since the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in the appeal Ruling of July 17, 2017 explained: "The Court of First Instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways of their expression, checking only the legality of the actions performed by the Organization [legal entity]."

Moreover, as the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation explained in its ruling of the Plenum on extremist cases, the crime provided for in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation can only be committed on the grounds of hatred or enmity (paragraph 2). However, the absurdity of the charge against me also lies in the fact that religious views (the main biblical commandments about the love of God and to the neighbor) directly contradict hatred and enmity. If I showed hatred and enmity towards others, I would not be able to remain a Jehovah's Witness.

There is not a shadow of discontent or resentment in my heart because of what is happening to me, only joy and peace. Hebrews 13:6 says: "Jehovah is my helper, I will not be afraid. If a person can call God his friend and helper, then in any situation he will feel safe.

Whatever the verdict of the respected court, you and I, dear friends, have no reason to be sad. If it is an acquittal, we will sincerely rejoice in the triumph of justice, rejoice that we live in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, where the Constitution of the Russian Federation is not an empty formality, where every citizen is guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom of conscience, where worship of the Creator of the Universe, the Father of Jesus Christ Jehovah God is not considered a crime.

If the verdict is guilty, I will be glad that I can prove in practice that I obey my God out of love, and not out of selfish motives, that I am ready to serve him not only when everything is good. I am ready to make any sacrifice for him and I am sure that with his help I will be able to withstand everything that he will allow. I recall the words of psychologist Viktor Frankl: "The one who knows the "why" to live, will overcome almost any "how"."

In view of the above, I ask you, Your Honor, to pass an acquittal, to rid me of this loud undeserved label "extremist". I would like to end my speech with a quote from the Bible, namely from the Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians: "Always rejoice in the service of the Lord. And once again I say: rejoice!"

Thank you, Your Honor, for allowing me to say everything I wanted to say in my defense.

Summary of the case

Region:

Vladimir region

Locality:

Carpets

What is suspected of:

according to investigators, "he organized collective meetings, as well as religious performances, worship services and sermons at them... I spoke independently at these meetings."

Criminal case number:

12107170001000002

Initiated:

February 18, 2021

The current stage of the case: the

appeal

is being investigated

by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Vladimir region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-19/2023 (1-417/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir region

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Dmitry Kirillov