The last word of the defendant Maxim Amosov in Petrozavodsk

 RUSSIA

 

The last word of the defendant Maxim Amosov in Petrozavodsk

July 24, 2023

Karelia

The believer revealed to the court the essence of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses: "The Bible does not teach extremism, on the contrary, it teaches the opposite — it encourages moral purity and shows how to change for the better, gives strength to do the right thing and reveals the best sides of his personality in a person."

Transcript of the court session in the Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia dated 07/24/2023 on the case № 1-34/2023 (1-223/2022; 1-1110/2021) on the accusation of Maxim Vladimirovich Amosov and others . in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Amosov Maxim Vladimirovich:

Your Honor, for most people, a desk book is not just a book, but rather a tool that they rely on in various situations. This book can be a source of knowledge, joy, inspiration and much more. For example, it can change our view of this world, our attitude towards it, ourselves and the people around us. It can become a guide for us in this life, a recipe for happiness, give us hope for the best or confidence in the present, change our lives. Such books are always lying under the pillow or on the bedside table, they are always needed, and quotes from them are constantly used by us.

In my childhood, such a book for me was the novel by Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers". I fell in love with it very early, it became painfully native, as I reread it in its entirety every time I came to the village for a weekend. For quite a long time, she was a guide to this life, shaped my view of people, my actions, and I believed that there was wisdom in her, because her advice remained relevant. Well, in communication I often used quotes from it. There were characters I wanted to take an example from. It is still one of my favorite works.

But now, for more than 20 years, such a reference book for me is the Bible. We are not born believers, just as we are not born accountants, lawyers, teachers. We become them thanks to the knowledge we receive. The knowledge I gained from reading the Bible convinced me that, despite its ancient history, it is competent in matters of modernity, and this undoubtedly confirms that it is a book from God. Since then, it is she who shapes my life, my deeds, my actions. It has become the foundation in all areas of my life. And the fact that I chose the right path, trying to live according to the Bible, was confirmed by this court. I'll explain.

Your Honor, during the trial, the prosecution tried to convince me that I continued the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court made a legally binding decision to liquidate in connection with the implementation of extremist activities — the Religious Organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia", which included the Local religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Petrozavodsk". The evidence of this, according to the prosecution, were the actions that were recorded on audio files, and they carried a public danger and had an illegal nature.

As I have already noted in my testimony, this did not correspond to reality, since in this case my actions had to have a specific purpose – the commission of extremist actions (that is, specific crimes), namely — committing actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, allowing statements justifying and (or) asserting the need for genocide, mass repressions, deportations, committing other illegal actions, including the use of violence against representatives of any nation, race, adherents of a particular religion and other groups of persons (paragraph 7 of the Resolution Plenum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation No. 32 of October 28, 2021). But not a single witness or case material proves this, not a single fact is given, but, on the contrary, the indictment itself and the case materials say that my actions did not harm anyone or anything. So isn't that a good assessment of my actions? Note that this conclusion was made by the prosecution, thereby, perhaps, unconsciously confirmed that I am guided by the Bible in my life, deeds, deeds and actions. After all, in the First Epistle to Timothy, the 3rd chapter, the 7th verse, it says that I "must have a good reputation with outsiders." If my actions did not cause any damage, then isn't this a positive assessment of my actions from the outside?

Your Honor, the Bible does not teach extremism, on the contrary, it teaches the opposite — it encourages moral purity and shows how to change for the better, it gives strength to do the right thing and reveals the best sides of a person's personality. And if you pay attention to the essence of those meetings that were recorded and presented as evidence that I continued the activities of a banned extremist organization, then any topic of these meetings was based on knowledge from the Bible; everywhere, the basis of such meetings is a different discussion of the Bible, and any topic of conversation has nothing to do with extremism. It was the Bible that connected all our recorded actions, all our recorded words, all our motives. Everywhere, the Bible was the basis of why we gathered at every meeting. But for some reason, the prosecution based its evidence not on the essence of our actions, conversations, discussions, but on the fact that everything was organized and had signs of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Therefore, in the end, it did not become clear to me, what is the essence of my crime? That I remained a Jehovah's Witness?

If we recall one historical event — the Nuremberg trials, then they were not tried for belonging to any organization, but for specific crimes on an individual basis. And it's interesting, but Jehovah's Witnesses were thrown into concentration camps during the time of fascism, just because they were just Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds characteristic of this particular religion. Why is it that even today all the efforts of the prosecution are reduced only to identifying simply religious affiliation through signs characteristic of this religion, calling it belonging to an organization recognized as extremist?

I think many people are familiar with the book "The Three Musketeers" and will surely remember one very famous expression: "One for all and all for one!" Which is interesting and today it is a rule of life for many people. But for more than 20 years I have been following another rule, which people have given the name "golden rule". With this expression they called the principle of behavior that Jesus Christ gave. It is written in the book of the Bible, Matthew 7:12: "In everything, do to people as you want them to do to you. This is the essence of the law and the books of the prophets." It is this rule that I am guided by in my life, it is it that is the engine of all my actions and motives. I try to embody all my actions through the prism of this rule. And it explains why we, in particular, hold meetings recorded by operatives and are Jehovah's Witnesses. What is this rule about?

This principle encourages us to treat others the way we would like them to treat us. For example, most people want to be treated with respect, kindness and love. Therefore, it is logical that I also need to be kind and respectful to all people. Sometimes it can be difficult, but I strive to do exactly that in my life, in all its spheres. And the prosecution, as I said above, was able to confirm this, finding no signs of extremism either in my words or in my actions.

But the golden rule is universal and applicable in any situation. It affects all spheres of life, that's why it's so close to me. And when we apply it, we end up with positive results everywhere. For example, it helps to strengthen relationships in marriage, raise children, maintain good relations with friends, neighbors and colleagues. And again, concrete evidence was presented in court that I and the other defendants in my life are guided not by extremist tendencies, but by what the Bible teaches, through the golden rule.

For example, our marriage certificates in the case file indicate that we have strong families. Each of us has more than 20 years of family life experience, while according to the latest statistics in Karelia there are 95 divorces per 100 marriages. Why is this so, even though we may face the same difficulties as any family? Because the golden rule regarding marriage is revealed in the book of the Bible, Ephesians 5:33: "So let each of you love your wife as yourself, and a wife should deeply respect her husband." When we do this in family life, it strengthens the marriage. And everyone knows that the family is the unit of society, the basis of the state. So if our families are so strong, then I don't understand why we hear today that we, on the contrary, are destroying the foundation of the state?

Our children graduate from school with gold medals, and this is the result of education according to the Bible, where Ephesians 6:4 says: "Fathers, do not annoy your children, but educate them, instructing and teaching as Jehovah commands." Our employers believe that we are very valuable as employees. Our friends who do not share our views respect us and speak warmly about us, because we try to apply what is written in the Bible — Proverbs 3:27, 28: "Do not refuse to do good to those who need it, if you can help them. Don't tell your neighbor, "Come back later. I'll give it to you tomorrow," if you can give it now."

So where, then, is extremism present in our actions, in particular, in our lives, and in general? What is the commitment to extreme views and actions that radically negate the norms and rules existing in society? Where does aggression lie in our actions and in what areas of our life? But this is exactly what extremism is.

Your Honor, opinions about us can be very different. It depends on what motivates people and what they have heard about us. Often the opinion about us is biased, that is, it is based on a lack of knowledge about us or has incomplete information without any facts. And as a result, it forms an attitude towards us. For example, my wife and I were detained on the street – they ran up from behind, without looking at my face, twisted my hands and handcuffed me. And my wife was twisted by two riot policemen. Seriously? Did she really seem so dangerous and so strong to them that one riot policeman could not cope with her? It just turns out that they were told before that they would detain extremists, and not those who, sitting at home, read and studied the Bible.

We have not been found guilty yet, but our bank cards and the funds that were there were immediately blocked. Because of this, we could not and cannot receive salaries on our own behalf and pay for the simplest expenses. Our property is also blocked, we cannot dispose of it. Also, our passports are controlled by the migration service, we cannot use them, although we all love to travel.

Someone thinks that we are a threat to the state, which means that such actions are justified. But, first of all, what about the presumption of innocence? And secondly, in relation to the state and power, the Bible teaches something else, and we follow these words in our lives. They are recorded in the Book of Romans, the 13th chapter, the 1st and 2nd verses: "Every person must obey the highest authorities, because any authority is from God. The existing authorities occupy the places assigned to them by God. Therefore, the one who opposes the government is rebelling against the order established by God, and such a person will incur condemnation." Therefore, when the decision to liquidate the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Petrozavodsk" (hereinafter referred to as the MRO) entered into legal force, I automatically ceased to be its head — Chairman of the Committee in connection with its actual "death", since the law does not provide for succession in this case. And there are no facts in the case materials anywhere confirming that I served as the Chairman of the Committee, held meetings on behalf of the MRO, as it was before, used some documents where the MRO would be mentioned, etc. D. All this is because — I want to emphasize once again — in our lives we try to be guided by the Bible, which teaches us to do with people the way we would like them to do with us. We are law-abiding citizens and we want to act only kindly.

Your Honor, you no longer see young men in front of you, but men who put the Bible at the heart of everything in their lives. The fact that we are standing before you is also a confirmation for us that what the Bible teaches is true. After all, at one time Jesus Christ said, and his words are recorded in Matthew 10:17, 18: "Beware of people, because they will put you on trial ... Because of me you will be taken to rulers and kings so that they ... hear about me." Since no evidence of specific extremist actions was heard from the prosecution during the trial, it turns out that we are here only because we are being persecuted, as Jesus Christ said "because of me", because we are his followers, we try to live like him - "to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all my mind. And love your neighbors as yourself."

So really, for more than a thousand years of Russia's history, having undergone many troubles, many trials — after all, the Pechenegs tormented her, and the Polovtsy, and the Tatars, and the Poles, Napoleon with an army of two hundred languages attacked her and took Moscow. And after all, Russia endured everything, overcame everything, only grew stronger and grew from the trials. But now… When four men, not boys, but men, without stealing anything, even for 30 kopecks, without killing, without being scammers, without speaking out against the authorities, without causing any harm to anyone, remained Jehovah's Witnesses, continuing to meet together and discuss the Bible… Is this really what Russia, of course, will not stand, will it die irrevocably from this?

Therefore, Your Honor, I responsibly declare that I am not guilty before the law, before people, or before God. I have never had any intentions of committing criminal acts. I want to emphasize once again that such courts are simply an indicator that we, ordinary believers, do not understand how else to apply the Constitutional right to joint confession of faith within the framework of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, so as not to be criminally prosecuted?

In conclusion, I would like to thank you, Your Honor, for your patience during this long process, for the fact that we were able to calmly explain the essence of our actions and for the fact that you listened and tried to delve into the essence of the issue, the essence of the case, carefully reading the case materials. During this trial, you have created a kind, calm environment, showing respect to us and our friends. I am very grateful that we were allowed to feel free, despite the subscription not to leave. And you always went to a meeting when the issue concerned our health.

I would like to thank your secretary Yulia Leonidovna for creating a very calm atmosphere, always being friendly and polite to us, if we misunderstood something, she calmly explained everything.

Many thanks to Prosecutor V. A. Lutsenko for his open-mindedness and respectful attitude towards us, for not putting pressure on us and treating us kindly. We see that you are just doing your job carefully. These are valuable qualities of a reliable employee.

Of course, I am grateful to all our lawyers, Alexey Evgenievich, Elena Vyacheslavovna, Evgenia Dmitrievna and Evgenia Alexandrovna, without whom it would be difficult for us to understand many subtleties of the legal side of this process and in general to prepare for it. I understand that it was difficult for them because of the specifics of this process, but they coped with it.

Thanks to all our friends who came and supported us during all this time.  They were there for us when we needed them so much. They embodied the words from the book of Proverbs 17:17: "A true friend always loves, he is a brother on whom you can rely in trouble." And those who were at the court sessions are only a small part of those who came before the sessions, since this and other halls simply could not accommodate everyone. I would like everyone to have just such friends.

But I am especially grateful to my soulmate — my wife Masha. This year it will be 23 years since we have been together, but this is just the beginning, my heart is with her forever. No matter how this trial ends, I'm sure everything will be fine in the end. Four years of investigation and the trial itself is, of course, a test: emotional, physical, moral, etc. But I was always sure that I was not alone in this, because there was always a reliable assistant in my life, who always found the right words of support and much—needed care and attention in difficult moments. The words in the Bible, in Proverbs 31:11, emphasize your value: "Who will find a good wife? It is much more valuable than corals." It's great when your life partner is a real encouragement!

Your Honor, we want to assure you that we did not want to violate the laws of the country in which we live, we just want to worship God peacefully, who teaches us to do with people the way we want them to do with us, that is, to be at peace with all people.

Summary of the case

Region:

Karelia

Locality:

Petrozavodsk

What is suspected of:

according to investigators, they united in an organized group with the aim of organizing the activities of a local subdivision of the banned religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" on the territory of the city of Petrozavodsk of the Republic of Karelia, including by organizing meetings and involving new members in its activities

Criminal case number:

11907860001000022

Case initiated:

July 22, 2019

Current stage of the case:

the verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

The FSB of Russia in the Republic of Karelia

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

№ 1-34/2023 (1-223/2022; 1-1110/2021)

Court:

Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia

Referee:

Stepan Sergeev