The last word of the defendant Inna Kardakova in Magadan

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The last word of the defendant Inna Kardakova in Magadan

February 12, 2024

Magadan region

Inna Kardakova explained what the concept of faith means to her. "My actions are an expression of my constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression of my beliefs, my faith in God, so I consider myself innocent," she stressed.

Transcript of the court session in the Magadan City Court of the Magadan region dated 02/12/2024 in the case 1-6/2024 on charges of Inna Alekseevna Kardakova and others. of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Kardakova Inna Alekseevna:

Your Honor, at meetings when issues related to religion, the Bible and beliefs were discussed, you often asked clarifying questions. Therefore, in my last word, I want to explain in detail what faith is, how I understand it, what is written about it in the Bible and how faith influenced my actions.

In Russian, the word "faith" has two meanings. The first is "conviction, confidence in something." The second meaning of this word is "religion". And if faith in the meaning of "religion" can be inherited, changed or banned, then a belief in something cannot be inherited or forced to change it, it is something personal, intimate. It is pleasant to note here that our state recognizes the right of citizens not only to choose a religion, but also to "have ... religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them" (Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 28). It is about faith in the meaning of beliefs that I want to explain today.

There is always a reason for any beliefs or confidence. So, for example, a person who believes that life happened through evolution is based on what he learned at school or somewhere else. From the point of view of the definition of faith, we can say that he believes in evolution, that is, he is a believer. However, a person can change his point of view and begin to believe that life originated thanks to aliens, having learned the arguments or some other arguments that convinced him of this. It also happens that a person, after learning new facts or getting acquainted with a book from God — the Bible, can again change his point of view and begin to believe that God created life. A person, forming his beliefs, focuses on his personal perception, experience, and knowledge. So faith is based on knowledge.

And here the issue of tolerance and respect for each other is very important. Does something exist just because you believe in it? And isn't there something just because you don't believe in it? If we are honest with ourselves in these matters, then we will not only carefully choose our beliefs, but also respect the beliefs of others.

Some people think that believing means simply taking something for granted, without having any evidence for it. For example, a person may say, "I believe in God." But if you ask him why he believes, perhaps he will answer: "I was raised that way" or "I have always been taught that." However, the Bible says that there is a big difference between faith and credulity. In it, faith is explained as follows: "Faith is the fulfillment of what is expected and the assurance of what is not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

You can understand this by using this example. Let's say a child asks, "How do you know that there is air around us?" Although we have never seen air, we will most likely be able to talk with a child about the evidence of the existence of air, for example, that we all breathe, feel gusts of wind, and so on. When he agrees with our arguments, he will understand that it is possible to verify the existence of what you do not see. Similarly, faith, from the point of view of the Bible, is based on irrefutable evidence. God wants those who worship him to be completely sure that he exists and that he loves them. This is one of the reasons why the Bible encourages you to persistently search for him and acquire accurate knowledge about him.

I have believed in God since I was a child. My Orthodox grandmother read prayers with me. I saw it as her love and care for me, more than any specific faith in God. Later, when I was a teenager, my friend and I ordered a Bible by mail. Let me explain that it was the Bible in the Synodal translation, that is, in the official translation of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was important to me that I had my own copy of the holy book in my understanding. At the same time, my parents were on a spiritual quest. However, their experience did not evoke any positive response in my heart, until I met people who had already developed a strong faith in God. Their behavior, their kindness, their attitude towards me, the steadfastness of their faith despite the difficulties of life prompted me to get more knowledge from the Bible and start studying it seriously on my own — the very book that I myself had ordered by mail much earlier. I wanted to get this knowledge myself, I searched for it myself and received it myself.

I learned from the Bible that faith is not only the recognition of some truth or even the certainty of something. It says that, for example, "demons also believe [in the existence of God] and tremble." It is also said that "faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself" (James 2:17, 19). That is, faith must be confirmed by deeds. What does this mean for a person? A believer is convinced that God sees his heart, sees his faith, but the Creator does not consider him a true believer until a person confirms his faith with deeds - deeds that God expects of him. Here, in the court session, we have already talked about these matters of faith and God's laws for people, which he gave in the Bible.

Why did I talk about my faith with other people and attend Bible study meetings? Because Jesus Christ, addressing his followers, said: "You will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8), "Teach all nations ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19). God commanded "not to leave his congregation," that is, to worship him together with other believers, and not alone (Hebrews 10:25).

I read the charter of the Jehovah's Witnesses Management Center, which is banned in Russia, only when I began to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. Even if it did not originally exist in the Russian Federation, I would still follow what is written in the Bible, because its teachings are the basis of my beliefs. If the expression of my beliefs, my actions, which are cited as evidence of the charges, are a continuation of the activities of the Management Center, then why is there no evidence in the case file that I translated literature, coordinated the sermon, transported or stored literature for its subsequent distribution?

My actions are an expression of my constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression of my beliefs, my faith in God, so I consider myself innocent. Please excuse me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Magadan region

Locality:

Magadan

What is suspected:

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

Criminal case number:

11807440001000013

Initiated:

May 30, 2018

Current stage of the case:

Proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigating:

2nd investigative department of the 3rd Department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Irkutsk region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

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

The number of the case in court:

1-6/2024 (1-12/2023, 1-220/2022)

Court of First instance:

Magadan City Court of the Magadan region

Judge of the Court of first instance:

Tatyana Belaeva