The last word of the defendant Vladimir Baykalov in Kemerovo

 RUSSIA

The last word of the defendant Vladimir Baykalov in Kemerovo

October 23, 2023

Kemerovo region

Addressing the court, the believer drew attention to the evidence of his own innocence. "There is not a single fact, witness or record that would confirm my guilt," he said. "On the contrary, all the evidence testifies to my integrity and respect for the authorities and their representatives."

Transcript of the court session in the Zavodsky District Court of Kemerovo dated 10/23/2023 in the case 1-82/2023 (1-982/2022) on charges of Vladimir Ivanovich Baykalov of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Baykalov Vladimir Ivanovich:

Dear Court, I want to begin my last word with words of gratitude. One wise man compared gratitude to the soil on which everything grows. And I totally agree with that, gratitude is an amazing quality. Only a grateful person can truly love.

I thank my God Jehovah for teaching me to be a grateful person, because he is a very grateful God himself, and this is clearly seen in the care with which he created our planet, the Earth, and also took care of meeting the needs of every person. I thank him for teaching me to look at everything with his loving eyes, to love people, to be an unbiased, honest, conscientious person. I am grateful for my friends, whom he gave me, real ones who are always ready to support and help, for their calls, for kind words, after which I often cried, seeing how they worry about me and my family.

I thank Jehovah for my family: for my beloved wife, with whom we have been together for almost 40 years, for my beloved children, for my grandchildren, whom I also love very much and am proud of.

I express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in this process with a caring heart, with a desire to restore justice, and not just to do their job.

Since I am accused of having studied the Bible, in my last word I want to tell you why I started studying it. When I was studying to be a pilot, the instructor told us before each flight that we should know the readings of two instruments as the prayer "Our Father" — this is the failure of generators and the failure of engines. Why? Because our lives literally depended on it. Day after day I heard this reminder, but I didn't understand what was so special about this prayer. It was only when I started studying the Bible that I realized why it was important not just to know, but also to understand the meaning of every word of this prayer of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount.

Prayer is a conversation with the heavenly Father, a real person who has a name, Jehovah, and who listens to our prayers and answers them, and not just words that need to be repeated thoughtlessly, like some kind of ritual. A father gives birth to a child. The child loves and admires his Father, imitates him in everything, is proud of him and happily tells everyone around him about him.

But to believe in God and to know him as a person are two different things. It is impossible to love God without even knowing his name. Therefore, Jesus Christ commanded: "Love your God Jehovah with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and most important commandment" (Matthew 22:37-40).

But God has given people freedom of choice, and he does not force anyone to love him. Love should come from a grateful heart. Therefore, I, like millions of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, consider it important not only to call God by the name he gave himself, but also to sanctify him, as it is said in the prayer "Our Father". I love Jehovah very much, and I am very pleased to talk about his excellent qualities, unsurpassed wisdom, strong love for people, about his wonderful plan for the earth and humanity. Can this be called extremism or a threat to society?

That is why, Your Honor, wherever I am— with friends in nature, on morning exercises, at home, talking on Zoom — it is always a pleasure for me to talk and learn about Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ.

During the search , the investigator asked: "Why are there so many cards with biblical thoughts and verses written?" (we later examined them in court). In order for me to learn to live "in the image and likeness of God"... loving people, thinking and acting like God and his Son.

It is impossible to force or recruit a person to become a Jehovah's Witness. A person needs a personal desire and a lot of time to figure out what the Bible really teaches, you need humility to admit your sins and mistakes, you need to get rid of bad habits (drinking, smoking, swearing, adultery, lying, etc.), and sometimes change jobs if it does not correspond to the biblical requirements. In my case, I have given many years to boxing. It was not only my favorite job, but also my life's work. It was associated with causing physical harm to people. The Bible taught me to show love instead of aggression, and desire and willingness to help instead of causing pain. These are many years of hard work with the only motive — love and great gratitude to God and his son Jesus Christ and people! This is the complete opposite of extremism, hatred or enmity.

Many Russian and foreign poets and writers, classics, used in their works the personal name of God —Jehovah. Many translations of the Bible into Russian available all over the world have this name. God really wants all people to know the truth about him, about his amazing plan for humanity — to turn the earth into a blooming garden with happy and physically healthy people. Therefore, using the name of God is not a crime!

I want to tell you briefly about one case that reminds me very much of what I am being held accountable for now. A few years ago I got into an accident. I was undergoing treatment for a long time, and my car turned into a pile of scrap metal. The car with which this accident happened was flying at a red light at the intersection, and I just started moving on the green. All three passengers who were in that car were not wearing seat belts, so they received various injuries, dissections. All of them in one voice, together with the driver, claimed that I was driving at a red light. I was driving alone, and there were no witnesses to the accident. Four victims claimed that I was to blame, so the traffic police officers quickly laid all the blame on me. It was a big shock, a shock, because I was accused of something I didn't do. Moreover, my car and my health suffered. Fortunately, I found a recording of that accident, so after watching it, I was completely cleared of guilt, and the false witnesses smiled and said that they simply "mixed up". So justice and my good name were restored.

I was very grateful to the doctors who provided me with medical care after the accident and during rehabilitation. Jehovah's Witnesses do not refuse medical intervention, on the contrary, many work as nurses and doctors, saving people's lives. After all, every citizen of the Russian Federation has the right to choose a method of treatment after a constructive conversation with the attending physician about modern methods of treatment that try to minimize blood loss and minimize the risk of infection of the patient during surgery.

Now the situation is repeating itself. I am accused by people who have not even read the decision of the Supreme Court, which did not prohibit professing my religion. I am accused of a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state, inciting religious hatred, hostility, violence, but there is not a single fact, witness or record that would confirm my guilt or motive for committing a crime. On the contrary, all the evidence (certificates, witness statements, audio recordings, physical evidence, characteristics, etc. they testify to my integrity and respect for the authorities and their representatives.

The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was not banned by the Supreme Court, therefore... worship services, singing songs, prayer, Bible study, communication with believers are also not prohibited. On the contrary, these actions are guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the observance of [the right to freedom of religion] is protected by the state.

The court is a place where people are always looking for the truth and hoping for justice. Therefore, I sincerely hope that the court will protect my right to peaceful expression of freedom of religion, and you, Your Honor, will make a fair decision, finding me innocent, and protect my good name, as it once was in that accident.

Summary of the case

Region:

Kemerovo region

Locality:

Kemerovo

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, he conducted conversations via video conference with an indefinite circle of people, "during which he propagandized the activities of an extremist organization"

Criminal case number:

12202320003000010

Initiated:

February 2, 2022

The current stage of the case:

Appeal

Is being investigated by:

SO for the Zavodsky district of Kemerovo, SU IC of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo region — Kuzbass

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-82/2023 (1-982/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Zavodsky District Court of Kemerovo

Judge of the court of First instance:

Marina Romanina.