The last word of the defendant Sergei Yerkin in Magadan

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Sergei Yerkin in Magadan

on February 9, 2024.

Magadan region

In his last words, 70-year-old Sergei Yerkin said: "How can I not worship the God Jehovah? Not only the Bible, but also the environment and nature teach me that it would not be wise."

Transcript of the court session in the Magadan City Court of the Magadan region dated 02/09/2024 in the case 1-12/2023 (1-220/2022) on the charges of Yerkin Sergey Livievich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2, Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Yerkin Sergey Livievich:

Your Honor, dear participants in the process! The trial, which lasted more than a year, is nearing its end. I want to thank you that, despite such a long period of time, you have been listening very carefully to the arguments of the parties and examining the case materials throughout this time.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to your assistants — they have always shown us attention, kindness and provided all possible assistance. I also want to thank the public prosecutors for their patience and gentleness, which they showed to us during the trial. I thank our wonderful lawyers who have done a huge amount of work, having studied 73 volumes of the criminal case.

I am grateful to our friends from all over the world. They wrote kind, encouraging letters and postcards, and some, if possible, came to support us emotionally before court sessions and provided practical assistance. Although I am not familiar with most of them, I felt in my heart their fervent prayers, worries for me and, of course, their Christian love. The manifestation of such love is a vivid proof of the fulfillment of the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verse 35: "By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for each other." I will never forget their love, care and kindness!

Imagine, Your Honor, the wonderful future that the Creator himself, God Jehovah, speaks about through the prophet Isaiah in the 11th chapter, from the 6th to the 9th verses. When I read this Scripture, I imagine the wonderful future that is written there. It says: "Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and the little child will lead them. And the cow will graze with the bear, and their cubs will lie together, and the lion, like an ox, will eat straw. And the baby will play over the hole of the asp, and the child will stretch out his hand over the nest of the snake. They will not do evil or harm on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters fill the sea." Even animals will live in peace without offending each other.

And how will people live? This is also written in the book of Isaiah, 2nd chapter, 3rd and 4th verses: "And He [God] will teach us His ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law will come out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge the nations, and will rebuke many tribes; and they will turn their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: the people will not lift up the sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight."

Does this mean that people will live in peace and harmony, guided by the principles and laws of God? Yes, there will be true peace in the whole world, and people will not even remember the war. They'll forget what it is.

I think that each of us would like to live in such conditions, be absolutely healthy and live for a long time, not counting the days, but enjoying every day. This is the intention of our kind and loving Creator of the universe. Almighty God created the plant and animal world, and the pinnacle of his creation is man. People will be accountable to the natural laws of the Creator. Of course, Almighty God is able to bring back to life those who have died. That is, we have hope of seeing our loved ones.

How can I not worship the God Jehovah? Not only the Bible, but also the environment and nature teach me that this would not be wise. The kings of the great empires recognized Jehovah as the God of gods and respected those who worshipped Jehovah.

The majority of the world's population knows the exemplary prayer of Jesus Christ, recorded in the Bible. It begins with the words: "Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name." What name did Christ encourage to sanctify? The answer is unequivocal — Jehovah. While living on earth, Jesus told people about his Father Jehovah, his qualities, plans, laws and much more. Jesus instructed His disciples to do the same thing — to talk about God. Here are the words of Christ from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verses 18 to 20: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me: Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the days to the end of the world." It is this commission that Jehovah's Witnesses are fulfilling today, trying to make the world a better place. Is it a crime?

On May 10, 2018, presenting its opinion at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna (report on religion), the Government of the Russian Federation referred to the fact that, despite the ban of the Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses and 395 local religious organizations for extremism, believers will be able to freely observe the canons of their faith. This is not extremism, but the fulfillment of the direct instructions of Jesus Christ.

Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Lebedev clarified at a meeting of judges on February 9, 2022: "Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in the exercise of the right of conscience and freedom of religion, including through religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime." Therefore, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit gathering together in order to exercise the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Dear court, neither I nor my friends violated the laws of our state, as they were guided in their activities by civil rights from Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and did not commit any illegal actions, including extremist ones.

Dear Court, I ask you to find me completely innocent and restore me to my rights, as well as restore my reputation as a law-abiding citizen.

Summary of the case

Region:

Magadan region

Locality:

Magadan

What is suspected of:

According to investigators, 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