The last word of the defendant Irina Khvostova in Magadan

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Irina Khvostova in Magadan

February 12, 2024

Magadan region

Speaking before the court, the believer said: "I am very sorry that investigators and state prosecutors saw "black" in "white" — they saw criminals in law-abiding citizens."

Transcript of the court session in the Magadan City Court of the Magadan region dated 02/12/2024 in the case 1-12/2023 (1-220/2022) on charges of Irina Vladimirovna Khvostova and others. of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Khvostova Irina Vladimirovna:

As a child, when I was still living in Ukraine, there were periodic reports on TV about cases when innocent people were imprisoned and only after a while — sometimes for a long time — the truth was revealed. I've always been afraid that I might be accused of something I didn't do. And then something happened to me that I was so afraid of as a child. I have not harmed anyone, neither people nor the state. I didn't break the law, but I ended up in the dock.

What have I done? I came to worship services to worship God, communicated with my co-religionists, studied the Bible, sang songs and prayed. All these actions were the realization of my constitutional right to freedom of religion. It turns out that I was accused of extremism only because my religion is called "Jehovah's Witnesses". I have not committed any extremist acts, but the prosecution believes that the very fact that Jehovah's Witnesses continued to worship God is a crime. This position of the prosecution is fundamentally at odds with the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, reflected in the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 06/28/2011 No. 11 as amended on 10/28/2021, according to which holding divine services or joint confession of religion does not constitute a crime.

The prosecution claims that the services were organized in order to continue the activities of an extremist organization. There is no evidence in the case file that I or any of the defendants conspired to commit criminal activity. Also, no one had any intention to continue the activities of the liquidated organization. The only intention was to satisfy their spiritual needs, because, as Jesus taught, happiness depends on it.

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The last word of the defendant Irina Khvostova in Magadan

February 12, 2024

Magadan region

Speaking before the court, the believer said: "I am very sorry that investigators and state prosecutors saw "black" in "white" — they saw criminals in law-abiding citizens."

Transcript of the court session in the Magadan City Court of the Magadan region dated 02/12/2024 in the case 1-12/2023 (1-220/2022) on charges of Irina Vladimirovna Khvostova and others. of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Khvostova Irina Vladimirovna:

As a child, when I was still living in Ukraine, there were periodic reports on TV about cases when innocent people were imprisoned and only after a while — sometimes for a long time — the truth was revealed. I've always been afraid that I might be accused of something I didn't do. And then something happened to me that I was so afraid of as a child. I have not harmed anyone, neither people nor the state. I didn't break the law, but I ended up in the dock.

What have I done? I came to worship services to worship God, communicated with my co-religionists, studied the Bible, sang songs and prayed. All these actions were the realization of my constitutional right to freedom of religion. It turns out that I was accused of extremism only because my religion is called "Jehovah's Witnesses". I have not committed any extremist acts, but the prosecution believes that the very fact that Jehovah's Witnesses continued to worship God is a crime. This position of the prosecution is fundamentally at odds with the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, reflected in the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 06/28/2011 No. 11 as amended on 10/28/2021, according to which holding divine services or joint confession of religion does not constitute a crime.

The prosecution claims that the services were organized in order to continue the activities of an extremist organization. There is no evidence in the case file that I or any of the defendants conspired to commit criminal activity. Also, no one had any intention to continue the activities of the liquidated organization. The only intention was to satisfy their spiritual needs, because, as Jesus taught, happiness depends on it.

After watching the videos, you could see for yourself that those present at the services were joyful and happy, because these services help to get to know our Creator more: how merciful, impartial, loving he is. His promises help me, despite the problems, to be happy right now, and also give me firm hope for a wonderful future. There are problems that seem hopeless today, such as illness, death, and injustice. However, I'm sure there won't be any in the future. As it is written in one of the books of the Bible: "Death will be swallowed up forever, and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces" (Isaiah 25:8). By attending the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, I received convincing evidence why these promises can be believed.

At the divine services, I learned to show love to all people, regardless of their nationality, religion or position in society, because God gave his beloved son Jesus for all people. And since Jehovah and Jesus show love to everyone, then, of course, Christians should do the same. My faith is based on this. I learned this from the services I attended. The worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses are not a gathering of aggressive, offended people plotting to harm others in some way, but, on the contrary, a gathering of benevolent, grateful to God people who want to glorify the Creator and help others. And the fact that the services were held in an orderly manner and did not represent a farce, testifies not to the continuation of the activities of the organization liquidated by the court, but to the worship of God, who loves order.

Those present at the services were encouraged to love and do good deeds, obey the authorities, including not using literature included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. That's what I did. The search protocol confirms that there was not a single material included in this list in the apartment where I live.

Everything related to extremism is alien to me. Not only do I not show aggression, but even in my thoughts and feelings I do not feel hatred and hostility towards anyone: neither to someone who does not share my views, nor to those who persecute me and my friends. Even now, when I am being unfairly accused, I do not have such feelings.

Because of the persecution, I couldn't fly to my mom to help her when I needed it. I couldn't be with her when she was recovering from the coronavirus, which worsened her condition after a stroke. I haven't seen my mom for 3 years.

Because of the persecution, I had to work for a long time to get the bank to give me my salary. And for more than 4 years now, like other defendants, I have to visit a bank branch twice a month to receive a salary and wait about an hour for a money withdrawal operation. My family is unable to take advantage of the Far Eastern mortgage and buy a house due to the fact that I am included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.

Due to the persecution, I am unable to travel from Magadan on vacation to get the necessary portion of warmth and vitamins, as well as to perform the medical procedures I need using modern methods that are not available in our city. For other defendants, this criminal trial has brought much more difficulties, not to mention what a guilty verdict can bring. I am especially worried about my dear friends Yerkin, Puida, Petrov and Zyablov.

But despite all of the above, neither I nor the rest of the defendants feel any hatred or hostility towards those who accuse us, who perjure themselves. We treat everyone kindly, as Jesus Christ taught. I am very sorry that investigators and state prosecutors saw "black" in "white" — they saw criminals in law-abiding citizens. I just hope that one day they will change their mind and make sure that Jehovah's Witnesses are decent people.

When the trial began, I really wanted a judge to be appointed who would be attentive to us and listen to us, try to understand what was happening, and not formally lead the process. Your Honor, thank you for doing just that: listening, being involved and trying to figure out our case, being condescending to us when we made procedural mistakes.

I would also like to thank the lawyers who did not remain indifferent to what was happening. It was very nice to hear your conversations before and after the court sessions that you consider us innocent. Although, of course, many of you did not understand our views, nevertheless you tried to help as much as you could.

Your Honor, I really hope that you will pass an acquittal and remove this monstrous label of extremists from all of us. But if five and a half years of investigation were not enough to make our innocence obvious, and we are being tried for our faith, well, we will continue to wait, because the moment will come anyway when we will be acquitted.

Case Summary

 Region:

 Magadan Region

 Locality:

 Magadan

 What is suspected:

 According to investigators, he held religious services together with others, which is interpreted as “organizing the activities of an extremist organization.”

 Criminal case number:

 11807440001000013

 Case initiated:

 May 30, 2018

 Current stage of the case:

 Trial before the court of first instance

 Investigates:

 2nd investigative department of the 3rd department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Irkutsk Region

 Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

 282.2 (2), 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)

 Court case number:

 1–6/2024 (1-12/2023, 1-220/2022)

 Court of First Instance:

 Magadan City Court of the Magadan Region

 Judge of the trial court:

 Tatyana Belaeva