The last word of the defendant Sergei Agadzhanov in Magadan

 RUSSIA

 

The last word of the defendant Sergei Agadzhanov in Magadan

February 12, 2024

Magadan region

The defendant explains why there is no evidence of his extremist motives in the case: "I have one motive: I wish well to all people, without exception, and to those who acted as witnesses for the prosecution, too."

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

Agadzhanov Sergey Artemovich:

I had such an idea. If we take the last words of all the defendants and combine them, we would get a complete picture, like an assembled puzzle of pieces. All 13 defendants would most likely have signed up for this common last word.

I was impressed by the biography of Ivan Puida's family. I was surprised by some of the details of this biography. For myself, I noted an interesting chain of events: a man lives in Germany, preaches the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Nazi Germany is attacking the Soviet Union. The man, because he is a Jehovah's Witness, observes political neutrality and refuses to fight against the Soviet Union, for which he ends up in a concentration camp. He is being freed by Soviet soldiers. Time passes, and this man begins to be considered an enemy of the Soviet Union, because he is a Jehovah's Witness, and they put him in prison. After a while, both Germany and the Soviet Union officially admit that they were mistaken, that he posed no threat. Both sides issue official documents and pay compensation.

Time passes again, and his son is sent to prison, because he is also a Jehovah's Witness. Time passes again, Russia officially recognizes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses does not pose any threat to the state. Time is passing, and already his grandson is being tried for being a Jehovah's Witness. Nothing has changed in the family all this time. Three generations have tried to live by the same norms and principles that are set out in the Bible. And what has changed?

I also want to note that, telling this tragic story for his family, Ivan did not clench his fists, did not grind his teeth, he just had tears in his eyes and his voice trembled. Why? Because his heart was once again experiencing the pain that his family had to go through and that his family is experiencing to this day.

We also heard how Evgeny Zyablov told about his family, with what tenderness and warmth he did it. Who would have thought that such a strong guy, but such a sentimental one.

The question arises: can people with such loving, sensitive hearts carry hatred and enmity? What danger can they pose to the state? Just as it is impossible to mix fire and water into one whole, it is also impossible for there to be love, tenderness, compassion and at the same time malice and hatred in one heart. You can, of course, plug your ears, close your eyes so as not to notice it, but that's who has what kind of heart. Just before the meeting, Yevgeny shared that he was at work today, and everyone wished him that everything would go well in court. This is a person about whom the prosecution thinks that he carries enmity, hatred and malice.

I was born in 1957, which means that I lived half of my life when there were posters everywhere "Long live the friendship of peoples!". My grandfather is Armenian, and my grandmother is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian. When I served in the army, there were 11 nationalities in our unit. That's the kind of environment I was raised in. Friendship of peoples is in my blood, as they say. Plus, for more than 20 years I have been studying the Bible, which says that for our Creator, Jehovah God, all nations are equal. He loves everyone. Therefore, among Jehovah's Witnesses there are all nationalities of the world, and they live in friendship and love. It is impossible, sowing enmity, hatred and the like, to bring together a multinational people, and even from people who used to profess different religions. Therefore, the very fact of the existence of such a people suggests that they are peaceful people. And since I have always wanted to live in peace, friendship and love, I am very grateful to Jehovah that he allowed me to become his witness, that is, a Jehovah's Witness.

And now, at the age of 66, I am accused of extremism — of inciting social, racial, national and religious discord, hostility, and some kind of activity against the state. And all my life I have not understood why people are so diligent in releasing weapons to destroy each other. After all, a person of any nationality wants to live in peace, love his family, get satisfaction from his work, and just visit each other, enjoy communication. All my life I have not understood why people do not remove borders, destroy weapons and live as one big family. After all, planet Earth is our common home, and it's not that big.

It was only by studying the Bible that I got the answer to this question. Revelation 12:9 says: "The Great dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan and who deceives the whole world, was thrown to earth along with his angels." It is also written that the whole world lies in the power of Satan the Devil (1 John 5:19). Why and why did Jehovah allow this? This is also stated in the Bible. Therefore, one who studies the Bible is not in ignorance. Anyone who studies the Bible gets answers to all vital questions. Jesus Christ said, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Free from what? From the lies that Satan has filled the whole earth with.

One day in the eighth grade, I was so scared that I still remember. I'm sitting in class and thinking: "When I finish my studies at school and possibly at the university, I will be about 25 years old. And how much of that life remains? 50 years old, and that's it? I'm not here, but life goes on? And it doesn't matter at all how beautifully I live this life, there is still emptiness ahead.

A person very tragically endures the death of loved ones, but for some reason does not think about the transience of his life. It seems to me that I recently came from the army, I recently arrived in Ust-Nera. And it's been 46 years. It didn't pass — it flew by. And when you tell a person that our Creator, God Jehovah, does not want anyone to die and that every person has the opportunity to live forever, then the person says that he has loans, mortgages, a career - there is no time to study the Bible, there is no time to get acquainted with the Creator. And in John 17:3 it is written: "In order to gain eternal life, it is necessary to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." But people don't have time to get to know God and Jesus. That's just less and less pleased with the reflection in the mirror. There is no time. Sadly.

I want to tell people that soon there will be no wars, crimes, diseases, famine, or even death on earth. That all people on earth will live in love and harmony. Even animals will live in peace. A tiger or lion can be scratched behind the ear like a kitten. Isaiah 11:6-9 says: "The wolf will be at peace with the lamb, the leopard will lie next to the kid. The calf, the lion and the fattened bull will be together, and they will be led by a little boy. The cow will graze with the bear, and their cubs will lie next to each other. The lion will eat straw like a bull. The baby will play over the hole of the cobra, and the child will reach out to the hole of the venomous snake. No one will harm others on my holy mountain, because the knowledge of Jehovah will fill the earth as water fills the sea." I suggest that the person investigate the evidence that all this will certainly happen. And the man says, "These are all fairy tales." But on the other hand, after hearing that it is possible to make a contribution and receive 1000 percent per annum, he believes this without proof.

I go to people with good news, but I am accused of carrying hatred and enmity. The injustice, of course, is upsetting. But, despite all the injustice of what is happening, this does not surprise me, because Jesus Christ said: "Then they will deliver you up to torment and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations for my name" (Matthew 24:9). And in 2 Timothy 3:12 it says: "And all who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

And Jesus Christ himself was even executed on charges (it's scary to think) of blasphemy. And they were also looking for false witnesses. "The chief priests and elders and the entire Sanhedrin sought perjury against Jesus in order to put him to death. And the high priest said to him: I adjure you by the living God, tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus tells him: You have said; I even tell you: from now on, see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said: He blasphemes! What else do we need witnesses for? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think? They answered and said: guilty of death. Then they spat in His face and strangled Him; others struck Him on the cheeks" (Matthew 26:59-67). As we can see, they even spat in Jesus' face.

That is why Jesus Christ said to his disciples, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Neither Jesus Christ nor his disciples have ever done anything wrong. They brought people the good news that Jehovah God would destroy Satan and eliminate all bad things on earth and even resurrect the dead, and there would be no more death. But at all times, Jesus' disciples were persecuted and even killed. Therefore, the injustice is upsetting, but not surprising.

The good news is that no one can change or interfere with the fulfillment of the plan of our Creator, the God Jehovah. The earth will become a paradise, and happy people will live on it — to live forever.

It is sad that those who act as witnesses for the prosecution do not think about the fact that Jehovah sees and hears everything. And some of them know that Jehovah says through the Bible that when his people are slandered, he believes that they are slandering him. It is also written, "For thus saith the LORD ... that which concerns you touches the apple of his eye" (Zechariah 2:8). That's the kind of pain Jehovah is experiencing. Some prosecution witnesses know this, but they still tell lies about Jehovah's Witnesses.

Lying is generally a serious sin. Written: "Liars will not inherit the Kingdom." Therefore, if we, the defendants, say that we have nothing to do with extremist activities, then this is true. Why should we lie, because Jehovah sees and knows everything. And even what every person knows on their mind. To put it another way, he knows the motives. There's no point in lying and getting out of it.

Former Jehovah's Witnesses also know that Jesus Christ said, "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before my heavenly Father" (Matthew 10:33). They know, but they don't think about it either.

Some people just don't want to believe in the existence of a Creator. But if a person does not believe that Jehovah exists, then Jehovah's life does not depend on it, but a person's life depends completely. Jehovah created man and gave him life. Man is his creation. And the creator who created something has the right to completely dispose of what he created.

For almost two years we have been hearing from the prosecution that the canons of Jehovah's Witnesses are harmful to people and the state. We (Jehovah's Witnesses) are trying to explain that all our canons are based only on the teachings of the Bible. And since the Bible is the Word of God, the prosecution, in fact, considers harmful and extremist the advice, laws, norms and principles that our Creator established. Here is such a sad fact. And even the law of the Russian Federation says that the Holy Scriptures or, in another way, the Bible cannot be considered extremist.

People often say: "Jesus Christ", "Lord", but, unfortunately, they do not want to hear what Jesus is saying to them. To this day, for about 2,000 years, he has been addressing everyone through the Bible. But people want to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong — what is good and what is evil.

That's why Jesus said, "Not everyone who tells me: "My God! Lord!" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My heavenly Father. Many will say to Me that Day, "Lord! God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? And wasn't it in Your name that demons were cast out? And wasn't it in Your name that many miracles were performed?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who do iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23).

It will be scary to hear this from Jesus Christ. But unfortunately, people don't think about it either. And if I come to them to encourage them to think about the words of Jesus Christ, then for some reason (without breaking the laws) I become a criminal. Is it a crime to encourage people to think and reflect on words from the Bible?

We have heard many times that an integral part of an accusation must be a motive. I have one motive: I wish the best to all people, without exception, and to those who testified for the prosecution, too. I hope that they will have time to come to their senses and Jehovah may forgive them. After all, Jehovah is the personification of love. He is, of course, a just God, but his mercy is above justice.

Mercy is above justice! That's our Creator. Unfortunately, humanity, for the most part, has lost such a quality as mercy (however, as well as love). But my desire for the best for everyone is not enough. It is necessary for a person to realize everything himself and want to find out from the Creator what is good and what is evil. And the trouble is that people don't want to find out: they want to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad.

When a fourteen-year-old child tells his parents that he can already decide for himself what to do, then the parents, of course, are perplexed: You're still young, you don't have enough knowledge and life experience. But having lived for only a few decades, they themselves tell their Creator, whose life has neither beginning nor end: "We can already decide for ourselves what to do." We can see the results of such decisions in the news every day. And not only in the news. And no matter what they say about Jehovah's Witnesses, we want all people on earth to be happy. Really happy. That's our real motive. And it's not a crime.

I hope that Your Honor will give an objective assessment of what we have heard and seen here.

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