The last word of the defendant Pavel Lekontsev in Orenburg

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Pavel Lekontsev in Orenburg

July 26, 2023

Orenburg region

Comparing the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with the persecution of the first Christians, the believer noted: "I think it is obvious to everyone present where and as whom Jesus Christ would be here in court right now… Whatever the court's decision, I am determined to continue following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ!"

Transcript of the court session in the Industrial District Court of Orenburg dated 26.07.2023 in the case 1-1/2023 (1-2/2022; 1-139/2021; 1-62/2020; 1-501/2019) on the accusation of Pavel Alexandrovich Lekontsev and others . in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Lekontsev Pavel Alexandrovich: Dear court! I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all participants in this long process. Thank you, dear court, for such an unusual opportunity to strengthen my confidence that I am following the Christian path. Where else would I have been given such an opportunity to hear firsthand reviews of my spiritual activities and ask questions to specialists at the regional and Russian levels from both the defense and the prosecution.

I express my gratitude to the investigating authorities for being able to experience the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus Christ that some of his followers will be persecuted solely for his name and their peaceful religious beliefs — not for crimes against the state, not for membership or membership in a Local religious organization (MRO), but for their God-pleasing Christian activity. While reading this prophecy, I was thinking about how persecution would affect my faith if I faced it. After all, it's one thing to read about it in an ancient book and quite another to experience it day after day, from month to month, from year to year.

The actions of the prosecution can be compared to "a weapon made against me that did not succeed." Why? Because all the preliminary investigation and judicial investigation was based precisely on the fact that I am a believer who lives according to the laws established in the Bible. I feel that my God approves of me, my trust in Jehovah and Jesus Christ has been greatly strengthened, and I am once again convinced that the Bible is really the living Word of God.

I also express my gratitude to absolutely all the defenders in this unusual case, in which not a crime is put on trial, but what a person believes in and how he shows his faith for peaceful purposes.

I would like to associate my last word with my speech "Always remember that you are a Christian", which is mistakenly imputed to me as an extremist crime. And I really remember that I devoted my life to serving God without any reservations and conditions. So why are I and four of my co-religionists in the dock if practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by law? For myself, I see the answer in the fact that we are trying to imitate the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, and also fulfill the biblical guidance in the verse from Hebrews 10:24, 25, quoted many times in court. In it, Christians are encouraged to gather together with their co-religionists to encourage and satisfy their peaceful spiritual needs: reading the Bible, discussing religious topics, singing songs and sincere prayers to God. All this is qualified by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court and the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court as a legitimate right to the joint confession of an unbridled faith.

In the Bible, the book of Isaiah 43:10, God says that he had witnesses in all ages, that is, believers who lived and spoke as God wanted and commanded. Jesus Christ himself is called a Witness. I often think about what Jesus would do if he lived in Orenburg? The answer is obvious: the same as in the I century A.D.: he honored his Father Jehovah and called on his followers to sanctify his name, as he showed in the prayer "Our Father"; he would meet regularly with his co-religionists; he made speeches, opening not huge scrolls, but the text in the tablet; from everything hearts sang religious songs; He sincerely prayed together with others and held meetings to help his followers convey the beautiful truths from the Word of God to other people. This knowledge could make many people happy, and even save someone's life and fill it with real meaning. I think it is obvious to everyone present where and in whose capacity Jesus Christ would be here in court right now, in modern terms.

I am not ashamed that I am standing before you, dear court. After all, there are no, there were not and could not be people in the criminal case who suffered from my peaceful Christian activities. I didn't do anything illegal. But in relation to me and other defendants, as it turned out, a lot of things were committed: outright forgery and deliberate distortion of thoughts, and attribution of criminal intent, and vile attempts to pass off religious beliefs as attempts to "resurrect" the MRO, and so on.

There are beautiful words in the Bible: "The righteousness of wisdom is confirmed by her works." And during the court sessions, far-fetched accusations against me and my co-religionists were obvious. Among the seized items at my house there is one notebook containing various statements of famous people. And there is a statement by Pierre Augustin Beaumarchais: "To assert something without being able to prove it legally means to slander." Although the words of this classic are more than two hundred years old, they have not lost their relevance today.

In this trial, they are trying to label me an extremist. In fascist Germany, Jehovah's Witnesses were considered Bolsheviks and communists, and in other countries imperialists. But in fact, a Christian remains only a Christian, being politically neutral. What is characteristic of a Christian? Following the high moral standards contained in the Bible, which includes cultivating strong family relationships regardless of the beliefs of family members, love is love, not hatred of one's neighbor, and this is manifested in deeds, not for show.

I, like other Jehovah's Witnesses, have a personal urge to share my knowledge with others, namely, to share the good (or otherwise, happy) news, as did the founder and head of Christians, Jesus Christ. To believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists is like believing in low—fat fat and non—alcoholic vodka and claiming that a vegan is a meat lover and a lamb is a ferocious predator.

I believe that being a Christian is not a mask, it is a way of life from day to day. My faith is my personal faith, not blindly following someone. Wiretapping of personal conversations strengthened my belief that the cause of Christ is not dead: we did not hear anyone express themselves obscenely, on the contrary, we tried to help someone in a kind way; no one perceived himself as a member of the MRO, but rejoiced at the opportunity to belong to a huge Christian family of Jehovah's Witnesses, where real love and support and alien ideas of extremism.

Whatever the court's decision, I am determined to continue following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and always remember that I am a Christian!

Summary of the case

Region:

Orenburg region

Locality:

Orenburg

What is suspected:

according to the investigation, he conducted divine services together with others, which is interpreted as "organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization"

Criminal case number:

11802530021000017

Initiated:

May 14, 2018

Current stage of the case:

proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigates:

SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Orenburg region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.3 (1), 282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-1/2023 (1-2/2022; 1-139/2021; 1-62/2020; 1-501/2019)

Court:

Industrial District Court of Orenburg

Judge:

Diana Sudorgina