The last word of the defendant Alexey Khabarov in Porkhov during the retrial of the case

 RUSSIA

 

The last word of the defendant Alexey Khabarov in Porkhov during the retrial of the case

October 16, 2023

Pskov region

Speaking before the court, the believer noted that in his case the history of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany and in the Soviet Union is repeated. "There is not a single victim in the case, except myself," he said.

Transcript of the court session in the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region dated 10/16/2023 in the case 1-28/2023 (1-120/2022) on charges of Alexey Nikolaevich Khabarov of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Khabarov Alexey Nikolaevich:

Dear Court! At the beginning of my last word, I would like to express my gratitude to those present at this process for their participation in a difficult and at the same time important matter for me.

Thank you, Your Honor, for the unbiased conduct of court proceedings, for trying to delve into all the subtleties of this process, not putting pressure on me, trying to be attentive to all participants.

Thank you to my defender for his kind and respectful attitude towards me. Without him, it would have been difficult for me to understand some of the legal subtleties of the process.

Thanks to Prosecutor Anton Mikhailovich for his calm and restrained attitude towards me during this whole process. It's nice that there was no pressure from your side, there was no anger or aggression.

I would also like to express my gratitude to the entire friendly team of secretaries, because during the court sessions, in my opinion, everyone attended the hearings of this case.

And, of course, many thanks to my friends who support me and do not get tired of helping and encouraging me, showing love in practice.

I would like to focus my last word on this quality, relying on a quote from the Bible, from the 1st Letter to the Corinthians, the 13th chapter, the 4th, 7th and 8th verses: "Love is patient, kind... always hopes, endures everything. Love will never cease to exist" (New Russian translation). Why? Because love has nothing to do with what I am being judged for, and for which I have been persecuted for 4.5 years.

We know, Your Honor, that in addition to law, you have a pedagogical education. Maybe you have heard about such a famous Soviet, Georgian and Russian teacher as Shalva Alexandrovich Amonashvili. Shalva Alexandrovich — Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1989, founder of the International Center for Humane Pedagogy, author of many books. Once, in an interview with the newspaper "Caravan", he said such a sad phrase about Soviet education: "We didn't know then... how much teacher love affects the educational process. Under Soviet rule, all these things did not fit into pedagogy, and you will not find the words "love" or "joy" in any textbook on pedagogy. They were not valuable for pedagogical science. Now everyone has realized that it is love that is the basis of the best educational process, and active love."

Without the assurance of love, whole generations of people in the Soviet Union grew up with low self-esteem. To be happy, everyone needs to have a sense of self-worth. The Bible has provided indisputable help to many in this. In it we find assurances of God's love for all mankind.

The writing of the Bible ended almost 2,000 years ago. In it we find hundreds of references to love. The Bible has been teaching about this for a long time, and it remains relevant today. It encourages the development of a friendly attitude towards each other, a sense of warm personal affection for friends, parents and children, tenderness and sympathy for others. And all this is because its author is God. This is stated in the 2nd Letter to Timothy, the 3rd chapter, the 16th verse: "All Scripture, because it is inspired by God, is useful." The Bible is an unusual and unique book, the author of which loves his readers.

Is it possible, not just by reading, but by living according to the Bible, to become an extremist? In the 1st Letter of John, the 4th chapter, the 8th verse says: "God is love." This is his main quality. If you type the word "love" on the Internet and look at the antonyms for it, then we will find the word "extremism" there. This is something that is opposite, alien to love, something that is far from God and his servants. And in my last word, I want to show you this.

[…]

Although love is a feeling, it is also the main driving force in the universe. It was thanks to her that God began to create everything visible and invisible, he was guided by her when he gave his Son for all people, and now when he shows patience for humanity. It is love that is the essence, the main theme of the Bible: paradise on earth for people obedient to God, established by the heavenly Kingdom. It was out of love for God and people that I became a Jehovah's Witness and tell others about this Kingdom, which is why I ended up in the dock.

Once, during the investigative actions, I asked the investigator why the FSB paid attention to our small town. The answer was: "You must have been very active in your activities." In my case — in the indictment — there are indeed such words: "I took an active part, independently carried out the ministry."

When asked why Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to actively engage in this, knowing that many will not listen to them and will even be opposed to what they are doing, Jesus replied, giving the command in the Gospel of Matthew, the 24th chapter, the 19th and 20th verses: "Go therefore, teach all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the days to the end of the world. Amen." That is, Jesus sent people devoted to God so that they would tell about everything they learned from him.

I would like to give such an example. What would you do, Your Honor, if you knew that a terrible typhoon was approaching our city, which would not leave a stone unturned? Would you calmly start packing your things? Or would you try to warn other people? And what would have prompted you to do this? The answers are obvious. It is the same with us: what we have learned from the Bible encourages us, guided by love for God and people, to go and warn our neighbors. About what? That's a good question.

In this criminal case, we often talked about the motives of Jehovah's Witnesses, because, according to the explanation of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (paragraph 2 of the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on extremist cases of 28.10.2021), the crime imputed to me can be committed only on the grounds of enmity and hatred. I would like to touch very briefly on what information from the Bible encourages us to be active in our activities. Then it will be more clear to you who Jehovah's Witnesses are and what their motive really is.

When God created life on earth, he commissioned the first people to turn the planet into a paradise. But one of the angels, having allowed a great conceit to develop in his heart, wanted what only God has the right to — to be worshipped and obeyed instead of God. This angel pushed Adam and Eve to violate the Law of God and became Satan the Devil. By this act, Satan raised important issues that could not be resolved in a moment or even in 1000 years. He questioned the justice and legitimacy of God's rule: do people need God's rule at all? can they decide for themselves how to live and be happy at the same time? Do people really serve God out of love? Will they remain faithful to God if the trials begin, or will they act like Adam and Eve?

If God decided to destroy Satan right away, it would solve the question of who is stronger, but not who is the best ruler. Therefore, God gave Satan time to try different forms of government and prove his rightness.

God allowed people to reach the limit in their desire to build a life without thinking about his righteous standards. The consequences speak for themselves. The Bible correctly notes: "He who walks cannot direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). At the same time, God has given His servants the opportunity to prove their devotion to him by obeying him out of love, despite temptations, as well as Satan-fueled persecution. That is what true servants of God demonstrate today, showing patience and enduring trials with fortitude.

The Bible shows that we are now living in the period that it describes in the 2nd Letter to Timothy, the 3rd chapter, the 1st verse: "Know that very difficult times will come in the last days." Is it possible to call our time easy? One of the prophecies, for example, concerns the recent pandemic and military conflicts. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21, verses 9-11, we read: "And when you hear about wars and troubles, do not be horrified: for this must come first; but the end is not immediately… People will rise up against people, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be strong earthquakes, famine and epidemics."

Also in the Bible, dozens of prophecies describe the qualities of people of our time and the situation in the world. But God, guided by love, wants to restore order on earth, remove all the consequences of the rule of people and, having established his government, restore Paradise.

This is what people of all Christian denominations pray about in the prayer "Our Father", which is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the 6th chapter, the 9th verse: "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." From this prayer it is clear that the will of God in heaven is already being fulfilled. And how will God's will be fulfilled on earth? Psalm 36, verses 9-11 says: "For those who do evil will be destroyed, those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth. A little more, and the wicked will not be, you will look at his place, and he is gone. But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy the multitude of the world." It turns out that this government will solve the problem with all the evil on earth. Everyone who made it will disappear. And meek people will live forever. The Bible calls meek those who have recognized God, humbled themselves before him and live according to his principles. That's my motive!

Jehovah's Witnesses want to convey this wonderful message to all the inhabitants of the earth, guided not by the recommendations of any legal entities, but by love for God and people, as well as a conscience trained according to the Bible. It turns out that my real motive — love — is the exact opposite of enmity and hatred. This means that there is no subjective side of the crime imputed to me, and, therefore, there is no corpus delicti as such.

In the case, the words are very often found: "Khabarov, in violation of Articles 19 and 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, prohibiting any form of restriction of citizens' rights on grounds of religious affiliation, not allowing propaganda or agitation, inciting religious hatred and enmity, did" this and that. Yes, I agree, it fits the concept of extremism, but it does not fit the realities of my life.

For about a year, my phone was tapped, my computer was hacked and searched, the apartment was searched all over — and what? Nothing extremist was found, no actions were detected or negative statements were heard regarding the government or other religions.

Not a single witness of the prosecution during the interrogation confirmed that I violated someone's rights or incited religious hatred and enmity. Even if someone once raised their voice at me, expressing their dissatisfaction with my activities, I tried to be guided by the principle from the Letter to the Romans, the 12th chapter, the 21st verse: "Do not be defeated by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Jehovah's Witnesses never participate in protest actions and pickets. When my co-religionists suffer because of military conflicts, natural disasters or civil unrest, they do not express dissatisfaction either on social networks or in messengers. Even when the Supreme Court banned our legal entities, none of us thought to go out with anti-government slogans. The Bible teaches us to forgive, endure and endure the hardships of life.

Jehovah's Witnesses try to work on themselves and avoid not only bad deeds, but also negative thoughts and feelings, and especially everything that somehow looks like extremism. That's what we learn from our meetings.

During the first trial, many characteristics and references were provided to me. They were almost all read out by the judge. What was it for? To understand what kind of person I am, whether I had a tendency to extremist actions. But judge for yourself: where does it come from in me? I was brought up in a simple village family: mom is a rural history teacher, dad is a fish conservation inspector. They never instilled in me anything like extremism. They taught to respect the authorities, the opinions of others, to be peaceful and to achieve everything with their work.

During my studies at the pedagogical University, I have never been noticed that I tried to impose extreme views, ideology on someone, used force. Of course, at that time I could not be said to adhere to Christian norms. I liked to drink, take a walk, was not always restrained, often lost my temper quickly — in general, I led an immoral lifestyle. But even then I was thinking about the meaning of such a life, about what lies ahead for me. The prospect of building a house, planting a tree, raising a child and dying with a sense of accomplishment was not to my liking.

Already while serving in the armed forces, I began to read the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, since it was then available to everyone. I was fascinated by the truths that are found in the Word of God — the Bible. It was there that I found answers to questions that interest many people, for example: why there is so much evil, what awaits us in the future, and what is the meaning of life after all. I learned that death is not the end, but, as Jesus called it, a dream. Of course, it was joyful to learn that this dream is not forever, that God intends to wake (resurrect) billions of people. I also made sure that all the prophecies from the Bible are fulfilled in the smallest detail, and there are a lot of confirmations for this. In the fact that God helped me to understand this book and get on the right path, I saw great kindness to myself on his part.

It was the Bible that helped me change my way of thinking, learn to truly love others, be kind, patient, calmly endure difficulties, restrain my emotions and desires. I really wanted to help others learn about these truths so that they would feel the enduring power of God's Word. That's why I moved to the city of Porkhov in 2011, and for 6 years we walked freely from house to house, from apartment to apartment, stood with a stand near the market, talking about the wonderful promises from the Word of God, the Bible. We even went to the OMVD of Russia in the Porkhovsky district in 2016 and left our literature to the chief and his deputy. He took it with pleasure, because no one could have thought of accusing us of extremism before.

[…]

In the prayer "Our Father", the first words refer to the name of God. In the Gospel of Matthew, in the 6th chapter, the 9th verse says: "Hallowed be thy name." It is clear that the Lord, God, the Lord, the Almighty are not names, but titles, such as judge, prosecutor, secretary, lawyer, defendant. None of our friends or relatives call us that, and it's natural — everyone has names. God also has it.

In the original Hebrew Bible, the name "Jehovah" appears about 7000 times. That is, if this number of mentions of the name were placed evenly on the pages of the Synodal edition of the Bible, which almost every home has, it would have to appear 5-6 times on each page. So, is his name important to God? This name is not hidden now.

In the "Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia or in the Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary", volume VI, it is written that Jehovah (Hebrew: ?????) is the proper name of God. This name is also mentioned in the Biblical Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nikephoros. Archimandrite Makarii uses it 3,500 times in his translation of the Bible, and it is also in the Synodal translation, which is most often used by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Why else do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that this name is important for all people to know? The theologian Walter Laure rightly noted: "A person who does not know God by name, in fact, does not know him as a person." In the Letter to the Romans, the 10th chapter, the 13th verse says: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." As you can see, knowing his name is necessary for salvation.

In the name of the true God, his qualities and traits are concentrated. God's name means "He gives to become", which means that Jehovah gives himself to become what is necessary to carry out his plan, and also "gives his creations to become who or what it is necessary to carry out his intention.

For various reasons, but mostly because of superstition, the name of God has disappeared from the pages of many translations of the Bible. But it is found in large numbers on liturgical buildings, monuments, in works of art and in the texts of many church hymns. It is easy for everyone to find it — just enter it into the browser search bar. Dozens, if not hundreds, of the most famous poets, writers, historians, and composers used the name of Jehovah in their numerous works. Among them are Tolstoy, Yesenin, Pushkin, Mussorgsky, Turgenev, Karamzin, Radishchev, Derzhavin, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Mayakovsky, Tsvetaeva and many others.

In 1931, when Jehovah's Witnesses took this name, one of the reasons was the desire to sanctify the name of God, as stated in the exemplary prayer. And this is not without reason, because in the book of Isaiah, in the 43rd chapter, verses 8-12 it says: "You are My witnesses… I have chosen you so that people will believe in me." To be his witnesses means for us to tell about him as the Creator, Savior, Lord of the whole universe, as well as to tell about his wonderful plans, that is, to give testimony. Well, what other name could God's servants take that would reflect the essence of the activity they were engaged in then and are engaged in now?

Your Honor, what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses today is not new to us. The history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia dates back more than 100 years, and it has not always been simple.[...] In 1951, the expulsion of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia began — an unprecedented event. Many believers spent 10, 20, 25 years in Stalin's camps. Then they were absolutely groundlessly condemned under the infamous Article 58. About 10,000 people were exiled simply because they did not go to the polls, did not take up arms for reasons of a Bible-trained conscience, did not participate in political and nationalist rituals.

During Nazi Germany, the German Jehovah's Witnesses also refused to throw up their hands and say "Heil Hitler", for which many were sent to death camps. An interesting fact: during the Second World War, they also refused to take up arms and go to war, including against the Soviet Union. What guided them? Love for our neighbors, the commandment "thou shalt not kill", as well as the words attributed today to the founder of our city, Alexander Nevsky, but which were said by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, in the 26th chapter, in the 52nd verse: "Return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." Can you imagine if they didn't follow the command of the Bible — on both sides— and went to war? How many more victims would have been added? Would our grandparents and you and I be alive? But thousands of Jehovah's servants then "did not take the sword"!

From April 1-9, 2021, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine hosted a series of online conferences dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Operation North, where the consequences of this expulsion were discussed and the lessons that society should learn were discussed. More than 10 scientists from different countries expressed concern about the repetition of the history of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Valery Vasilyevich Borshchev, a Russian politician, deputy of the State Duma of the first and second convocations, human rights activist and journalist, co—chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, at this conference expressed the idea that Jehovah's Witnesses decided to "run in" an article about extremism, and that society should not allow this. Valentin Mikhailovich Gefter, a human rights activist, director of the Institute of Human Rights, expressed bewilderment at these persecutions and called them inquisition and xenophobia on the part of the state.

It is interesting the opinion of one researcher who said: "The authorities failed to destroy the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, and its adherents have not stopped talking about their faith. On the contrary, they started doing it with even more courage." Yes, a strong idea makes people strong too!

On October 18, 1991, Law No. 1761—I "On the Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression" was issued, which states the following: "Condemning the long-term terror and mass persecution of its people as incompatible with the idea of law and justice, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation expresses deep sympathy to the victims of unjustified repression, their relatives and friends, declares the unwavering desire to seek real guarantees of the rule of law and human rights."

By this, the state officially recognized that Jehovah's Witnesses, who have been subjected to religious persecution for decades, are victims of political repression. In order to have a certificate and receive a small financial compensation from the state, believers had to apply for documents to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.

In 1991, Jehovah's Witnesses were registered in the Soviet Union as a religious organization. After the collapse of the USSR, they received registration in the Russian Federation. But what do we see now? The same thing again? A paradox! My friends have a certificate of victims of political repression and receive benefits from the state, and next to them, believing in the same thing, am I an extremist? After all, the Bible has not changed since that time, and the teachings of the Witnesses have not changed either. How is this possible?

In nazi Germany, Jehovah's Witnesses were accused of being communists and sent to concentration camps by the thousands, many were executed. In the USSR, Jehovah's Witnesses were accused of being accomplices of imperialism, that they were conducting anti-Soviet activities, and were sent to camps, mutilating thousands of lives.

Today, we are branded as extremists, despite the fact that this causes misunderstanding and disagreement among human rights defenders, Russian and foreign figures, organizations, researchers and political scientists.

Why did I touch on these historical facts? The German philosopher Georg Hegel once said: "History teaches man that man learns nothing from history." Whether he will learn from history is up to everyone to decide. But I really want that now, during this court session, we honestly face the facts and see the real picture of what is happening.

Jehovah's Witnesses have never advocated any calls for violence, have not incited it, nor have they shown religious enmity or any hatred, and will never do so.

Why is this all happening to us? Jesus said, "A servant is no greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." The Apostle Paul also warned of persecution: "And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).

We understand that in this way one of the many prophecies of the Bible about our days comes true. What helps us overcome these difficulties and trials? Love! The love of God for us, who gives us the strength to endure all this. A love that "endures everything" and "does not lose hope" that:

— those who are participants in this trial will place their hearts on everything that has been said and will see in me not a dangerous recidivist, but a person who sincerely loves God and his neighbors;

— that a fair decision will be made;

— that even if it is not so, God will not forget the devotion of His servants.

After all, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 49, verses 15 and 16, it says: "Will a woman forget her child, will she not regret the son of her womb? But even if they forgot, I won't forget you. I wrote your name on my palms."

Today, many people believe various gossips, rumors and slander about Jehovah's Witnesses and often do not want to deal with it. One of my friends, whom I helped with repairs, was very critical of my religion. But when I found out that I was being tried for an extremist article, I was very indignant and even agreed to write a characterization justifying me. Most of the people who live in our city and know this situation are very concerned about what is happening. They think it's someone's order, a malicious joke.

And it's really hard to explain logically. Observing the process, I conclude that I am being prosecuted only because I remain a believer after the liquidation of legal entities with which I have never been connected in any way. This is clearly seen in the indictment, which states: "Acting unlawfully, intentionally, in accordance with their religious beliefs, pursuing the goals of spreading the creed." The Prosecutor's Office believes that it is a crime to be a Jehovah's Witness and spread this creed.

However, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This was confirmed by the appellate instance in the ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. APL17-216 dated July 17, 2017, which explicitly states: "The Court of First Instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways of their expression."

Since April 2019, I have not seen any grounds even to initiate a criminal case against me, much less to judge me as an extremist! You know, I had the opportunity to go abroad, and I even went there. However, I have not left and I am not going to leave Russia. And I will not give up my faith either, no matter what it costs me, because "love is patient, endures everything."

[…]

Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, a German poet, playwright and professor of history, once said: "The truth does not suffer at all from the fact that someone does not recognize it." Yes, no matter how many trials of the Bible and believers there were in history, the truth from the Word of God did not suffer at all, but only found more and more those who were sincerely interested in it and accepted it with all their hearts! Even now, when the trials are taking place in Russia, millions of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world continue to show love and share the beautiful biblical hope for a heavenly future.

And what can be said about the courts? In the Gospel of Matthew, the 10th chapter, the 18th verse says: "You will be brought to the judgment of rulers and kings, because you are My disciples, so that you can testify about me before them" ("Modern translation"). Today this prophecy is being fulfilled in our city.

If we look at the facts, how many people have suffered from the so-called extremist activities that I carried out "intentionally"? Just one person. And that person is me. There is not a single victim in the case, except myself.

We were attacked like real robbers when my friends and I gathered in the apartment. They took away all my electronic gadgets, records, photos. My accounts were blocked, I was left without means of livelihood and was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list as an extremist terrorist. For more than four years, I have not been able to use various banking services, conduct online money transactions to pay for any services. When I moved to Pskov, I was faced with the fact that serious companies refuse to hire me when they find out that I am criminally prosecuted. Even being self-employed, I cannot conclude contracts with legal entities. To pay taxes, I have to turn to other people for help. During these 4.5 years, while the investigation was being conducted and the courts were going on, I had to repeatedly break away from the place to arrive on a call or summons to court. And at the same time, I have a subscription not to leave, so in order to leave the Pskov region, I constantly have to notify the court about it.

This stress was not easy for me either. My illnesses have worsened, although in the past they did not interfere with my life. Due to the worsening of metabolic problems, I was given a disappointing diagnosis - gout. Do I deserve to be treated like this for what I believe in and what I do? It's up to you.

I understand, dear court, that this case is unusual and unusual for our region. I hope that, having objectively analyzed all the facts, you will come to a wise and balanced conclusion, listening to the voice of conscience.

I really want your name not to go down in the history of repression, and for your reputation to continue to confirm your commitment to the rule of law and the protection of citizens' rights.

As for me, I will continue to show love in practice, wherever I am. Because love is able to endure all injustice. She is kind even to those who do not notice her and drives her away, because she hopes for the best in these people and is ready to endure it all!

I ask you to attach my last word to the case file.

Summary of the case

Region:

Pskov region

Locality:

Porkhov

What is suspected of:

"Intentionally, in accordance with their religious beliefs and goals of the Organization, in pursuit of the purpose of spreading the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of the city of Porkhov, Pskov region, organized, directed and participated in the activities of its structural unit "Jehovah's Witnesses of Porkhov"."

Criminal case number:

11907580001000018

Initiated:

March 28, 2019

Current stage of the case:

proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigating:

The FSB of Russia in the Pskov region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-28/2023 (1-120/2022)

Court:

Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov region

Judge:

Kapustina Natalia.