The last word of the defendant Artem Kim in Surgut

 RUSSIA

 

The last word of the defendant Artem Kim in Surgut

November 9 , 2023

Khanty-Mansiysk JSC

Speaking with the last word, the defendant said that he does not hold a grudge against those who tortured him during the interrogation. He added: "I want to believe that if at least someone has a good impression of us as Jehovah's Witnesses... then surely this whole trial has not been in vain."

Transcript of the court session in the Surgut City Court of 09.11.2023 on the case № 1-27/2023 (1-130/2022; 1-1348/2021) on the charges of Kim Artem Stanislavovich and others . in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2, Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Kim Artem Stanislavovich:

Dear court, I am being tried for being a believer and professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as for sharing and discussing thoughts from the Bible with citizen Mironov Alexey Evgenievich.

I would like to find out if there is at least something extremist or forbidden in this. I would like to say a little about the Bible itself, because this is the book we were talking about. The Bible is recognized as the greatest book of all time on the basis of its antiquity, prevalence, and the number of languages into which it has been translated. In this one-of—a-kind book there are no elements of imitation of any other works, it is a masterpiece. It is valuable in itself and owes this to its great author.

The Fatherland and Faith website says about the Bible: "The Bible has been the most mysterious and at the same time the most popular book for more than 1000 years. No other book has faced such strong opposition. However, neither power, nor talent, nor eloquence could overcome this book."

Why is the Bible worthy of your attention? First of all, as this book testifies, it is the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 speaks of her as follows: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." And you will lose a lot if you don't read it.

In addition, the Bible is one of the most ancient books that have come down to the present time. It is also known all over the world and has been translated into the largest number of languages. The Bible was and remains a world bestseller. When you think about the value of the Bible, its age and prevalence, you are even more surprised at the numerous attempts to silence its message.

The nineteenth-century theologian Albert Barnes once said: "People are usually struck by anything that withstands multiple blows or disasters. No army has withstood as many attacks as the Bible has withstood, no ancient fortress has survived as many sieges and remained unbreakable in the crucible of war and the whirlpool of time, no rock has survived under the influence of so many destructive waves. Many ancient written monuments have been lost, destroyed or simply forgotten. The Bible survived despite numerous attacks. Some tried to make it accessible to all people at the cost of their own lives. There were also those who tore this book out of the hands of eager readers, and also publicly burned both the Bible itself and its owners."

The Bible is also an authoritative book for me. I have come across various translations of the Bible (Synodal, Modern translation, translation of Archimandrite Macarius), and the last translation I have read is the translation of the "New World" published by Jehovah's Witnesses. Is there a difference between these translations? There is no semantic difference between these translations. In the translation of "New World", there are simply fewer words and expressions incomprehensible to modern people. For example, the expression "slow to anger" does not sound very natural in modern Russian, so it has been replaced by the more understandable word "patient". "Memorial crypt" in this translation sounds like a more understandable "tomb" or "grave".

If there was a significant difference, then I and other believers would have noticed it, or at least compared it and found the difference. But in translations there is only a more understandable explanation of some words that do not change the meaning. This is very relevant and similar to how some old words, the so-called archaisms, go into the past in our time, and new ones come in their place. For example, string bag — mesh, forehead — forehead, mouth — lips, eyes — eyes, roof — roof, balakat — talk. These examples were given to me by my grandmother. Therefore, I used a translation that is more understandable to me. For the sake of justice, I want to note that for the first time I got to know God and fell in love with him by reading the Bible in Synodal translation.

In continuation of the translation topic on the same website "Fatherland and Faith" it says: "In 1199, Pope Innocent III wrote in his letter about "heretics" who translated the Bible into French and dared to talk about it among themselves. Innocent turned to them the words of Jesus: "Do not give the holy to dogs and do not throw pearls to pigs" (Matthew 7:6). Why did he put it that way? Dad explained: "So that no simple and illiterate person would even dare to comprehend the greatness of the scriptures and preach them to others." All those who resisted the pope's order were given to the inquisitors, who were forced to repent by torture. People who remained steadfast were burned alive. The struggle for the right to use and read the Bible was long and exhausting. Pope Innocent's letter often served as a reason to prohibit people from using the Bible and translating it into other languages. Shortly after Innokenty's order, Bibles translated into the languages spoken at that time began to be burned. The owners of these Bibles were also burned. In the following centuries, the bishops and rulers of the Catholic states of Europe diligently carried out the pope's order."

At our trial, we also heard phrases about banning the Bible or recognizing it as extremist from expert Svetlana Mochalova. There were also seizures of the Bible during searches, and torture, and the terms requested by the prosecution. This can be compared to what was done in the past to people who continued to translate and read the Bible — but, thank God, we are not being burned yet.

For me, the Bible itself, no matter in what translation, is an authority for some reason. Although the Bible is not a scientific work or a school textbook, when it talks about something related to science, it is always accurate. Today, every child knows that the Earth has the shape of a ball and hangs in space. However, once upon a time most people believed that the Earth was flat. But even then it was clearly written in the Bible that it was round. At one time, the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras (570-490 BC) only suggested that the Earth has the shape of a ball. And another ancient Greek scientist — Aristotle (384-322 BC E.) — for the first time proved the spherical shape of the Earth. However, some people did not recognize such a logical explanation for a long time, ridiculing the idea itself. So, the famous speaker of the III century A.D. Lactantius declared: "Is there anyone so crazy who would believe that there are people who walk upside down?"

The prophet of God Isaiah, who lived in the second half of the VIII and the beginning of the VII centuries BC, in the 40th chapter, the 22nd verse of his book wrote these words: "There is one who lives above the circle of the earth." In the work "The Study of the words of the Old Testament" by Wilson, it is indicated that the Hebrew word "hug", translated by the word "circle", can also mean "ball". These words of the prophet Isaiah, according to some sources, were written in the period from 733 to 701 BC. And this is about 200 years before the society just started talking about the fact that the Earth is round. This is one of the clearest examples of the scientific accuracy of the Bible.

In the Bible there is also a description of the water cycle in nature, and a very advanced one for the XV century BC (it was then that this fragment was written) the statement that the Earth is hanging "on nothing", and detailed medical instructions for maintaining health that have not been known for many centuries. Such serious scientific facts personally convince me that the Bible is worthy of trust!

Another reason why the Bible is an authority for me is the prophecies fulfilled to the smallest detail. No one can know the future in an absolute sense. People can only systematize knowledge and make assumptions, and also try to calculate how likely they are by studying the theories of probability and relativity. Often these assumptions can be quite vague or allow for several different options. The biblical prophecies were expressed with amazing clarity, they are extremely accurate and often predicted just the opposite of what one would expect.

One of the most striking examples of prophecies is the prophecy about the ancient city of Babylon. In the VII century BC, it occupied an advantageous strategic position on the trade route from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon was the capital of the Babylonian empire and seemed impregnable. The city was located on the banks of the Euphrates River, whose waters were used to fill wide and deep ditches and form a network of canals. The city was protected by a powerful system of double walls reinforced with defensive towers. The inhabitants of Babylon felt completely safe.

At the same time, when Babylon was flourishing and great glory awaited it, God's prophet Isaiah predicted that Babylon would be "swept with a broom of destruction" (Isaiah 14:22, 23). Isaiah also described exactly how Babylon would fall. From the 44th chapter, verse 27, to the 45th chapter, verse 2, Isaiah predicts that the invaders will "dry up" its rivers (that is, the rivers of Babylon), the source of its protection in the form of ditches, making the city vulnerable. The biblical prophecy even mentions the name of the conqueror — Cyrus — the name of the great Persian king, for whom "the doors would open, and the gates would not be closed."

How and when was this prophecy fulfilled? 200 years after the biblical prediction, as historians testify, on the night of October 5, 539 BC, the Median and Persian troops under the command of Cyrus the Great encamped near Babylon. But the Babylonians behaved confidently. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the V century BC, they stocked up on food for many years. They were also protected by the Euphrates River and the powerful walls of Babylon. Nevertheless, on the same night, according to the chronicle of Nabonidus, "Cyrus' troops entered Babylon without a battle." Why were they able to capture such a fortified city?

Herodotus explains that in the city people "danced and had fun on the occasion of the holiday." Cyrus diverted the waters of the Euphrates River, as predicted. When the water subsided, his troops marched along the riverbed, where the water was waist-deep. They passed near the powerful walls and entered, according to Herodotus, through the "gates leading to the river", which were thoughtlessly left open.

Other historians, including Xenophon, who lived in the IV century BC, as well as cuneiform tablets found by archaeologists, confirm that Babylon was captured by Cyrus suddenly.

There was another detail in Isaiah's prophecy. It was foretold of Babylon that it "will never be inhabited, and in the generations of generations there will be no inhabitants in it" (Isaiah 13:20). This prophecy was fulfilled gradually, Babylon did not disappear immediately. Alexander the Great tried to restore it. In the I century, people still lived in it. But today Babylon does not exist, and in its place are only the ruins of a once powerful city, which are located about 80 kilometers south of Baghdad, in present-day Iraq. This did not happen to all ancient cities. For comparison: today there are still some ancient cities, such as Jerusalem, Alexandria, Athens.

This is just a description of one of the prophecies. Such prophecies convince me that the Bible is reliable from a historical point of view, and that what is written in it can be trusted.

The accusation also says that I was not allowed to be a Jehovah's Witness after 2017, which means that I cannot continue to believe in God and what is written in the Bible. Dear court, for example, someone loves his parents who take care of him, he appreciates it. And then, for some reason, this person is informed that from tomorrow he can no longer love them. What will he think about? Is it possible to stop loving your parents in one day by order? Something similar happened. Due to the fact that legal entities were liquidated, of which I have never been a member (and my faith is generally deep in my heart and has nothing to do with legal entities), now I am forbidden to believe in God, which is written about in the Bible. You can't even tell someone what he is, according to the Bible.

After the search of my home on February 15, 2019 and later during the investigation, I thought about one person who, by the way, saw the fall of Babylon. This man's devotion has been tested for strength throughout his life. This man, who was a prophet of Jehovah God, was called Daniel.

During the reign of the Median king Darius, Daniel was one of the three dignitaries (a major influential official in a high position). They led 120 satraps — now we can say that this is the post of governor — who ruled the kingdom. The Bible says that Daniel stood out for his abilities, brilliantly coped with public service, and the king was going to put him over the whole kingdom.

But other satraps and dignitaries envied Daniel, disliked him and did not respect the God he worshipped at all. So they came up with a plan to harm Daniel. Since they could not find anything reprehensible and no grounds for accusation (he was a reliable person and it was impossible to convict him of crimes or dishonesty), they persuaded the king to issue a law that affected Daniel's worship of God.

The law stated that for 30 days no one should turn to any god or person, but only to the king. In fact, Daniel was forbidden to worship God. They broke into his house (unfortunately, it is not known for sure whether it was at 6 am or not) and saw that, as usual, at a certain time Daniel prayed to God. They told the king that Daniel, as before, prays to God three times a day. The king had to throw Daniel into the lions' den, but my God Jehovah saved Daniel, his faithful prophet — the lions did not touch him. The king, having learned of the plot against Daniel, ordered the conspirators to be thrown to the lions. This time the lions are full.

Dear Court, I feel that the same thing is happening to me now. For the fact that since adolescence I have developed the habit of worshiping Jehovah God, praying to him, reading the Bible, the prosecution asks me to "throw my faith, my good qualities that I tried to develop as a believer, my honor and dignity into the lions' den".

Many may not understand why to make such sacrifices, namely to risk their lives or freedom. If this is a banned organization, is it possible to sacrifice freedom for the sake of some idea and fall under criminal prosecution? But I just, like the prophet Daniel, appreciate my relationship with the Creator, appreciate his care for me and his love. It does not fit into my head why it is possible to condemn a faith that has not harmed anyone, because the prosecution has not named anyone who would have suffered through my fault.

Applying illegal actions to me, namely torture with the use of a stun gun and strangulation, the investigating authorities tried to force me to confess to participating in the activities of a prohibited organization. Since this was not true, for some time, while I could still endure the pain, I refused to give deliberately false testimony. The prosecution considers my religion to be something prohibited related to the activities of a legal entity. But the defense side has repeatedly explained the difference between the liquidated legal entity and the fact that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. The Supreme Court did not give an assessment of religion, and I am sincerely sorry that the prosecution did not see or did not want to see the difference between my religious life and a legal entity. You can leave a legal entity or join it, but for this you need to write an application. To become a believer, it is necessary to read the Bible, conform to its norms and follow the principles written in it. These are completely different things that cannot even be compared. At a meeting with A. E. Mironov in the apartment of E. N. Kairyak, we were talking about the Bible. Isn't that a sign of a believer?

The accusation says that my faith destroys family ties. Your Honor, we have listened to the ORM recordings that have been conducted for 9 months since 2019. Did what is on these records negatively affect someone's family or did someone want to stop communicating with relatives? There is no such family. The prosecution did not cite cases or examples of such families. On the contrary, it was nice to listen and see the sincerity of the words and deeds that were recorded, as it turned out, secretly, by the person we wanted to help.

Nevertheless, having no concrete examples of affected families, the prosecution continues to claim that we are dangerous to society because we call for the dissolution of family and kinship relations. She also continues to insist on our guilt and asked all believers for real terms. But if you think about it, here, in the courtroom, in the dock, there is one married couple and 17 heads of families who actually live very amicably. We all have relatives with whom we maintain relations. My father lives alone in the Novgorod region, in the village of Mshaga. My mother and grandmother live here in Surgut, both retired and without husbands. Mother-in-law lives alone in the city of Tobolsk. My wife, who married me at the age of 18 and with whom we have been happily married for more than 10 years, has no idea how to live without her husband, the head of the family, and pay the mortgage for another 20 years. For us, the prosecutor's office asks, again, I repeat, considerable real terms in the colony. Who then destroys family and kinship ties by limiting the communication of husbands, wives, parents and children with each other?

I also want to note that I am accused of financing. But the prosecution did not provide evidence of who allegedly collected the money, who these people are, their names and surnames. There were no specific people (neither names nor surnames) who allegedly transferred money to some banned or liquidated account or organization. No such evidence was presented. I remember such a familiar phrase: it is difficult to look for a black cat in a black room, especially when it is not there.

At the same time, the case file contains extracts of my legitimate business activity, which I have been conducting since 2013. [...] Due to the initiation of a criminal case in 2019, I was forced to stop entrepreneurial activity, as a result of which I was deprived of the opportunity to pay the state 198,613 rubles of mandatory contributions of an individual entrepreneur for the period from 2019 to 2023, not counting the amount of possible income tax.

Also in 2021, it was because of the criminal prosecution that I was cut from my main job. According to the requirements of Rosfinmonitoring, my accounts were blocked. My family lost their income. And the state lost about 157,000 rubles of personal income tax, as well as about 1,500,000 rubles of mandatory insurance and pension contributions from the employer. Such actions would be justified in the case when dealing with real dangerous criminals who cause harm, and there are persons affected by them. But in my case, the only victims are my family, deprived of their livelihood for believing in God, and the state, which has not received taxes and contributions from my legitimate activities. From all of the above, the question arises: who caused damage to the state?

If we talk about the terms requested by the prosecution and the position of the prosecutor's office, it is a pity that, probably, they did not have enough time or desire to understand that there are no signs of extremism in my actions and the actions of other defendants in the present case, but at least some kind of administrative offense. I really want to believe that if the prosecution had had more time for a thorough examination of the evidence (I have no other explanation why the respected prosecution did not abandon the charges against me and other believers), she would have made sure that I never wanted to harm anyone and did not do it. But, on the contrary, having worked in the last place for 8 years, I carefully followed the job descriptions of my employer, a large Internet provider. And the people who have worked with me confirm this.

Early in the morning, at 6 o'clock in the morning, on February 15, 2019, law enforcement agencies came to me with a search with a whole delegation, namely: riot police officers, witnesses, a technical specialist, the FSB. Then they took me to the Investigative Committee. According to them, they had not slept much the day before, and then, working all day with me as a dangerous criminal, they were released late at night.

They must have been pretty tired then and probably were sure that they had done their job well, because in fact they thoroughly searched every corner. Now these people are not in the hall, I could thank them, those who conducted the search, for their work. But it is a pity that they were not personally at the trial during these two years. Perhaps they would have formed their own opinion about what was happening and what they were doing then. They would have seen that on that day they came to an allegedly dangerous criminal, at least that's how they were set up and did their job, but in fact it turned out that there were no victims of this person and they were judging him only because he is a Christian, reads the Bible and believes in God.

I would like to think that the employees who used illegal interrogation methods to me, namely torture, regret the cruel actions they have done. But, unfortunately, we will not find out, since the investigators refused to initiate a case of torture and look for the perpetrators. But for my part, I want to say that I do not hold a grudge against them and have forgiven them, as Jesus Christ taught and as the servants of God did before, and did not treat law enforcement agencies in general negatively. This did not affect my attitude to the authorities in any way, since the Bible teaches me to respect and obey them. [...]

I am glad that the prosecutor's office for two years, studying the case materials, could observe us, see and hear the religious life of believers who sincerely wanted to help just one person — A. E. Mironov. I want to believe that if at least someone has a good impression of us as Jehovah's Witnesses or maybe someone found out something new or interesting, then for sure this whole trial was not in vain.

I am sincerely grateful to you, dear judge, for the time you spent understanding our case, for your patience and humanity towards us, as well as for the permitted departures from Surgut. It seems to be a trifle, but during the preliminary investigation, for almost 3 years, the investigators did not allow us to leave. It was nice to work with the assistant judge, Stasiv Zhanna Petrovna. Thank you, Zhanna Petrovna, for your friendly attitude towards us.

Thanks to the lawyers involved in this case for understanding the essence of this case. Special thanks to my defenders, lawyer Milkin Dmitry Nikolaevich and lawyer Cherkun Evgeniya Valeryevna. Thank you for sincerely worrying about me and supporting me throughout the process.

Dear court, I ask you to pass an acquittal and recognize the right to rehabilitation of me and my co-believers as law-abiding citizens who do not pose a danger to society. Thank you.

Summary of the case

Region:

Khanty-Mansiysk JSC

Locality:

Surgut

What is suspected of:

"He made speeches, participated in a preaching service with local "Jehovah's witnesses", held meetings with "pioneers", "elders" and "service assistants", including in order to organize the activities of "elders" in the "assembly""Take-off"".

Criminal case number:

42002007709000023

Initiated:

February 11, 2019

Current stage of the case:

Proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigates:

SO in Surgut SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

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

Case number in court:

№ 1-27/2023 (1-130/2022; 1-1348/2021)

Court:

Surgut City Court

Judge:

Dmitry Lupin