The last word of the defendant Nikolai Martynov in Irkutsk

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Nikolai Martynov in Irkutsk

January 25, 2024

Irkutsk region

Speaking before the court, the believer said: "The investigation and the prosecutor's office, having not found the corpus delicti, without bothering themselves, took some excerpts from the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and attached them to the case materials, including them in the charge. However, this accusation sounds ridiculous."

Transcript of the court session in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk dated 01/25/2024 in the case №1-6/2024 (1-105/2023; 1-857/2022) on the charges of Nikolai Alexandrovich Martynov and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Martynov Nikolai Alexandrovich:

Your Honor, I will be brief in my last word, as I said everything in the debate. I would like to draw the court's attention once again that I am accused of being a member of a local religious organization (MPO). But I emphasize once again that I have nothing to do with the MRO. I became a Jehovah's Witness back in 1998, and no MRO was needed for my faith in God. I did what the Constitution allows me to do peacefully and absolutely safely for society — I participated in divine services.

Your Honor, there are expressions in my accusation that, despite the long time of investigation and consideration of this case, still sound unusual and even wild to me. It turns out that I was "aware that by my actions I was undermining the constitutional order and the security of the state"; I "desired the onset of socially dangerous consequences in the form of violations of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of a person and a citizen, depending on his religious affiliation and attitude to religion"; I "incited religious strife, propagandized the exclusivity, superiority of a person on the basis of his religious affiliation and attitude to religion." Imagine, I "acted out of extremist motives, expressed in propaganda of the advantages of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, in a negative assessment of persons who are not followers of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and in inducing severing kinship and family relations with them." Imagine, I "did not recognize the state bodies and local governments of the Russian Federation," although I participated in the life of the city on clean-up days.

My actions, as established by the investigators and the prosecutor, allegedly contained calls for extremist activities or actions aimed at violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. I was credited with inciting hatred or enmity, humiliating the dignity of a person or group of persons on the grounds of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, belonging to any social group. And no one said what it was expressed in — neither the investigation nor the prosecutor's office. And Investigator Petrov himself did not find any crime related to extremism.

All of the above are excerpts from the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which defines extremist activity. Real extremist activity, true. What is the conclusion from this? The investigation and the prosecutor's office, having not found the corpus delicti, without bothering themselves, took some excerpts from the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and attached, I emphasize, attached to the case materials, including these excerpts in the charge. However, this accusation sounds ridiculous.

And was there at least some of the above in my actions? For example, the exclusion of a drunkard from our meeting is certainly an extremist motive. Obviously, I wanted to incite hatred on the basis of belonging to a separate social group, a group of drunks. And the joint collection of donations for victims of the flood in Tulun in the Far East is, of course, the most extremist intention! There's nothing to say. And what is our promotion of a healthy lifestyle, abstinence from smoking and alcohol, marital fidelity, but anyone can see here — a natural humiliation of the dignity of individuals and entire social groups! Pure extremism.

Your Honor, the performance of spiritual songs at worship meetings and prayer to Jehovah God — is this really extremism? So maybe we can call Jehovah God himself an extremist, because I am his Witness, like his son Jesus Christ, who was accused of telling about the Kingdom of God? If the word "extremism" had been in common use at that time, then undoubtedly Jesus would have been accused of extremism, as I am accused.

Studying relevant, Bible—based articles that tell you how to protect yourself and your children from criminals, drug addicts and rapists - is this really considered extremism? Or has something changed in people's thinking today?

Your Honor, I exercise my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in accordance with my religious beliefs based on the Bible, showing respect and love for people regardless of their nationality and religion. So what is my crime? Why am I here?

Your Honor, I ask you to separate the wheat from the chaff, the criminal from the unapproachable, the organization of the activities of a prohibited religious association from a peaceful assembly of co-religionists. Jehovah's Witnesses, as we all know, are not prohibited. Only legal entities are prohibited.

And finally, I would like to express my gratitude to you, Your Honor, for listening to us without interrupting when we participated in the debate of the parties, made written notes and the last word. Thank you for accepting some of the petitions of our defenders, despite the fact that the prosecutor was against it. Thank you, Alexander Olegovich, for a good reading and correct pronunciation of the name of the God Jehovah.

Thanks to the lawyers for their help and protection of my interests, for visiting the pre—trial detention center - they not only advised me on legal issues, but also were interested in my physical condition.

Thanks to our wives, children, mothers, fathers and friends, their presence has been very supportive. Thanks to my beloved ones: wife, son, daughter-in-law, daughter and everyone else. They supported me in court and on dates, through letters and calls. They supported us by sending broadcasts, despite the fact that they may not have received proper nutrition themselves. I am very, very grateful to you, my beloved.

Your Honor, I have nothing to do with extremism and have not committed any crime. I appeal to your heart: I am innocent and I hope for your reasonable and balanced decision, not related to imprisonment. Thank you.

Summary of the case

Region:

Irkutsk region

Locality:

Irkutsk

What is suspected of:

Being "adherents of the religious association "The Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia", they organized collective religious services consisting of consistently performed songs and prayers to Jehovah God, the study of articles" (from the decree on bringing as an accused)

Criminal case number:

12102250040000051

Initiated:

October 4, 2021

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

The number of the case in court:

1-6/2024 (1-105/2023; 1-857/2022)

Court of first instance:

Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk

Judge of the Court of first instance:

Andrey Slavinsky