The last word of the defendant Alexander Vasichkin in Teikov

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Alexander Vasichkin in Teikov

February 22, 2024

Ivanovo region

The believer compared his trial to the trial of Jesus: "Reading the Gospels, I understand more that what was happening then has a direct bearing on us today." He asked, "What kind of threat can come from people who, based on the Bible, learn to love others, to be peaceful, kind and patient?"

Transcript of the court session in the Teikovsky District Court of the Ivanovo region dated 02/22/2024 in the case 1-1/2024 (1-24/2023) on the charges of Vasichkin Alexander Nikolaevich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Vasichkin Alexander Nikolaevich:

Your Honor, first of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your respect, open-mindedness and desire to understand the essence of a new issue for everyone in the context of criminal law.

It was obvious that you were reading through the documents of the case to sort out this "tangle" of contradictory and absurd accusations. It is safe to say that with such a mountain of arguments and research of documents, you are now the greatest expert on Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region.

It was obvious how listening to audio files of worship services, reading letters from my co-religionists to our fellow countrymen and reviewing other materials gave you an understanding of the full picture of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I am grateful to my wife for being a real helper and support for me all this time. December 18 marked the 30th anniversary of our life together, we learned and rechecked the Biblical truth many times, raised a worthy and loving son and daughter. In 2014, we survived a fire and six months later our daughter's terrible disease — blood cancer, leukemia. Five years of fighting for her life. Thank you for everything! Thank you that our love and faith have become even stronger during the persecution. I am also grateful to the secretary, Olga Nikolaevna, for her help in solving various issues and human attitude.

It was clear how the whole court had changed over the past eleven months in relation to us: from the guards at the entrance to the building to everyone who was present at these courts. I think that a little more and we would have been allowed into court without an examination. With such an article of accusation, there were not even guards at the meetings, since everyone understands perfectly well that we are kind and peaceful people.

Even Nikita Mikhailovich, no matter how severe a "mask" he put on himself, it was clear that after a few months he "did not know what to do with these loyal extremists."

Many thanks to my co-religionists who took time off from work and organized their affairs in such a way to be here. This is Christian love in practice. Thank you for your testimony in this building by your behavior.

Your Honor! I sincerely regret that the investigation did not apply, and you and I did not watch live one of the most understandable and easily readable modern translations of the Bible, to which the prosecution referred so much. Believe me, for a reason, in 2019 alone its release exceeded 235,000,000 copies in paper version only in more than 180 languages. Believe me, this translation is read by so many people on our planet in 239 countries and island territories for a reason. He is very understandable to the modern reader and brings the Word of God right to the heart.

For myself, I compare the Bible to the headlights on a dark road. The light does not remove pits or fallen trees from it, but helps to see these obstacles. I am pleased to drive along this "road" with the "light". It is a pity that sometimes many people read the instructions when everything is already broken, and the Bible when everything has already been lived.

It is the hope from the Bible that helps me live, no matter what. When I read the Bible, I see that more than 90% of the prophecies recorded in it have already been fulfilled. Thus, when I check everything carefully, my faith becomes more grounded and reasonable. During almost a year of proceedings, we could see how much everything that Jehovah's Witnesses teach and how they try to live is based on the Bible.

The modern campaign of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, which began after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and continues to this day, is senseless and cruel.

I would like to quote the words of a well-known religious scholar and doctor of philosophy with more than forty years of experience, Sergei Ivanenko, who is referred to by experts in my case, about the current situation in our country with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses: "There are more than 8,700,000 witnesses on earth. There were 175,000 Witnesses in Russia alone before the ban, and they are banned in 33 countries, mostly totalitarian with authoritarian regimes. Jehovah's Witnesses can be considered a kind of indicator of the presence or absence of freedom of conscience and democracy in the country. That is, as a rule, it is in those countries where democracy is being lost, where totalitarianism and dictatorship arise, that a period of trials, prohibition, and persecution begins for Jehovah's Witnesses. By themselves, Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose any threat to any authority: they are loyal to all authorities, they are law-abiding, they do not take up arms, they never participate in any political protests, strikes. And it would seem that if any dictatorship soberly assessed the situation, it would leave these believers alone."

I would like to emphasize once again that these are not my words or those of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, these are the words of a sane person and a scientist observing this situation from the outside. Why, then, are civilians who pose no threat to the authorities convicted and often given serious prison sentences? The answer is found in the Bible in the Second Epistle to Timothy, chapter 3, verse 12: "All followers of Christ Jesus who want to faithfully serve God will be persecuted."

I think we could just as well accuse everyone here on the basis of an accusatory decision against our common "leader and organizer." By "Above ours" I mean Jesus, and by "all" I mean those who consider themselves Christians of any denomination.

After all, just think about it: Jesus Christ criticized the dogmas and traditions of his time and taught only according to the Bible; they found "witnesses" against him; he did not celebrate some holidays of his time the way his tribesmen did, for example, the Sabbath; he gave guidance to his followers to preach, not to take up arms.

Many rightfully consider Jesus Christ to be the greatest man in history. He had no slaves, but he was called Master; he had no army, but kings feared him; he did not win military battles, but conquered the world with his love for people and devotion to God.

Hardly any trial that took place in ancient times is known in the same way as the trial of Jesus Christ. The four Gospels describe in detail how Jesus was arrested, tried, and executed. Why is all this of interest today? Firstly, it is important because that court handed down the death sentence to an innocent, sinless man, Jesus Christ. In fact, the entire Jewish Supreme Court was a religious conspiracy against an innocent man. Secondly, it is important to consider the mistakes made by the members of the Jewish Supreme Court in order to find out whether Jesus was justly accused. And thirdly, it is important to consider the trial of Jesus Christ in order to see parallels with our time and avoid similar mistakes today.

At the time of Jesus, Palestine was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Rome allowed the Jewish authorities to administer justice among the Jews according to their law. However, at the same time, Rome probably did not give the local authorities the right to carry out death sentences. This explains why Jesus was taken into custody by the Jews and executed by the Romans.

Jesus' preaching about the heavenly government of Jehovah caused such strong indignation among Jewish religious leaders that they decided to kill him at all costs. But they wanted the illegal killing of Jesus to look legitimate in the eyes of the public. After analyzing the actions of the members of the Jewish Supreme Court, one law professor called the trial of Christ "the most monstrous crime in the history of jurisprudence."

How did the trial of Christ take place? The law established that a person could be arrested only if two witnesses gave the same testimony in court. However, when Jesus was arrested, there was not even one witness who could accuse him of anything, and no charges were brought against Christ. The members of the Jewish Supreme Court began to look for witnesses and charges against Jesus Christ only after his arrest. The judges could not find two witnesses against Jesus whose testimony would match.

Unfortunately, nowadays it has become a kind of norm that during the trials of Jehovah's Witnesses, the testimony of the witnesses involved in the case does not match, or the testimony that the witnesses give according to the protocol and those that they read in court differ, which clearly indicates forgery. And this is a gross violation of the CPC. Unfortunately, many courts ignore these violations. Moreover, so far no one has babouteen brought to justice for this falsification and misleading the court. I would like to mention that in my case, the prosecutor's office also relies on the testimony of two secret witnesses to convict, although these persons were not even represented and, in fact, can speak any slander with impunity, without incurring any responsibility for it.

I will continue about Jesus. He was tried in the dead of night, which was forbidden by law. Moreover, the investigation should have been conducted in open court, not in private. Knowing that the judge was conducting the interrogation illegally, Jesus asked him, "Why are you asking me? Ask those who heard what I said to them. They know what I was talking about" (John 18:21). But the court could not interrogate the people who listened to Jesus' sermon. Why? Because all the people were asleep.

In addition, the presiding judge of the Jewish Supreme Court, instead of interrogating witnesses, interrogated Jesus himself as the accused. Therefore, Jesus' remark would encourage an honest judge to adhere to the order established by law. But that court was not at all interested in justice.

Unfortunately, today most courts have an extremely low interest in dealing with everything honestly and making an impartial, fair and objective decision. That is why unjustifiably harsh sentences with prison or long suspended sentences are imposed, which cripple the fate of innocent people and entire families. I have no purpose to accuse anyone, I just want to say that what is happening is seriously affecting the lives and health of innocent people. Decisions that may seem like a mere formality to some have real consequences for the lives of real people.

Let's return to the trial of Jesus. Since the judges could not find suitable witnesses whose testimony would match, they tried to force Jesus Christ to testify against himself. This was completely unacceptable. According to writer and lawyer Taylor Innes: "To interrogate the defendant and make a decision based on his testimony was a gross violation of the legal norm."

Since the prohibition of religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in April 2017, systematic attempts have been made to force Jehovah's Witnesses to testify against themselves, to incriminate themselves. In some cases, in order to achieve this, cruel torture, threats, physical violence, and verbal insults were used against Jehovah's Witnesses. Investigators often ask believers questions of this kind: do you believe in Jehovah? Do you read the Bible? Are you praying to Jehovah? Do you serve as an elder? All this shows that it is very difficult to find a legal basis for initiating criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses. Why? Because the reality is that Jehovah's Witnesses did not commit any crime. There is no corpus delicti in their actions. However, there are those who try to expose the actions of ordinary believers — Bible reading, sermons, joint meetings, prayers and spiritual chants — as a kind of crime that undermines the system and security of the state. How absurd is the idea that the above is a threat to our country. What kind of threat can come from people who, based on the Bible, learn to love others, to be peaceful, kind, and patient?

In the case of Jesus, the formal basis for the death sentence was eventually found. In response to the question: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am." The priests interpreted this as blasphemy and "condemned him, deciding that he deserved to die" (Mark 14:61-64). Was this accusation legitimate? Judge for yourself. Blasphemy was the disrespectful use of God's name, as well as encroachment on a position or power belonging exclusively to God. Jesus' accusers were unable to prove his guilt in either case.

Today, Jehovah's Witnesses are also judged on religious grounds. According to human rights activists, the law on extremism itself is so vague that, in fact, if desired, absolutely anyone can be judged by it. And since there is not a single fact of a real offense in the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses, there is not a single illegal action, it is easiest to accuse them precisely of "thinking wrongly."

I will continue about Jesus. Since the Jews obviously had no right to carry out the death sentence, they took him to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate. At first Pilate asked: The Jews, knowing that their fabricated accusation of blasphemy meant nothing to Pilate, tried to get him to condemn Jesus without conducting a trial. "If he had not been a criminal, we would not have brought him to you," they told him in response (John 18:29, 30). Pilate was not satisfied with this explanation, so the Jews had to bring a new accusation against Jesus: "This man calls the people to revolt, forbids paying taxes to Caesar and says that he is the Christ, the king" (Luke 23:2). So the charge of blasphemy turned into an accusation of sedition. The accusation that Jesus "forbids paying taxes" was false, and the accusers knew it perfectly well. Jesus said the exact opposite (Matthew 22:15-22).

Today, Jehovah's Witnesses, and in particular me, are accused of inciting violence and overthrowing the constitutional order, humiliating the dignity of a person on his religious grounds and religion. The prosecutor and the experts could not cite a single phrase from the audio recordings where such calls would have sounded. On the contrary, during the presentation of evidence to the court of first instance, we listened to many Bible-based speeches and watched several video plays, which sounded such motives as obeying higher authorities to pay taxes, to love all people regardless of their nation and faith, to tell everyone we meet about hope from the Bible.

Let's return to the trial of Jesus. After considering the accusation that Jesus calls himself king, Pilate immediately realized that Jesus did not pose a threat to Rome. "I find no fault in him," Pilate declared to the Jews (John 18:38). And Pilate did not change his mind until the end of the trial. "Pilate began to think again how to free Jesus, but the Jews were shouting: "If you release him, you are not Caesar's friend. He who declares himself king opposes Caesar" (John 19:12). At that time, Tiberius was Caesar, an emperor known for executing anyone he suspected of treason, even high—ranking officials. Pilate, who already had strained relations with the Jews, could no longer take risks, because now he was accused of treason. He sensed a threat in the words of the Jews and was afraid. Pilate surrendered to the onslaught of the crowd and ordered the execution of Jesus, an innocent man (John 19:16). Unwilling to take responsibility, he washes his hands and says, "I am not guilty of this man's death." Then he gives the accused to be executed. Instead of fulfilling his judicial duty, Pontius Pilate allows others to decide for themselves. No amount of water can wash away the guilt of passing this unjust sentence (Matthew 27:11-26; Luke 23:13-25).

Today, many judges and even prosecutors understand that innocent people are standing in front of them, and yet they do not find the strength to go against the system and convict peaceful believers… It seems that all decisions have already been made in advance, and therefore I have no resentment, and I appreciate the opportunity given to me to speak out in my defense. I also appreciate that I did not see any personal hostility towards myself and a desire to ruin my life, but I cannot close my eyes to the obvious injustice. Now, reading the Gospels, I understand more that what was happening then has a direct bearing on us today. It is worth mentioning separately how the detention of Jesus took place. The traitor agreed on a sign: "Take into custody the one whom I kiss, and lead him under reliable guard" (Mark 14:44).

Today it is widely known that Jehovah's Witnesses have a reputation for being the most peaceful and law-abiding people, nevertheless, security forces break into their homes and often use violence when they are detained. Also, although there was no need for this, at least fifteen people with machine guns participated in my search. The neighbors were shocked. The parallels don't end there. The accusation plaque that was hung over the executed Jesus read: "The King of the Jews" (Mark 15:26). None of those executed had a sign with the words "murderer", "rapist", "rebel" hung next to them. It turns out that this plaque with the inscription "The Jewish King" was nothing more than an attempt to humiliate and blacken the good name of Jesus, in fact, a label.

Today, too, they are trying to hang the degrading label of "extremist" on the servants of God. But, excuse me, the word extremist is an abusive name. And I ask you not to apply it to me.

What is happening in modern Russia today — unlawful sentences, false accusations and groundless persecution of civilians — causes different reactions from people, ranging from outrage and indignation, ending with sympathy and misunderstanding of the reasons for such an attitude. This state of affairs upsets me, but it does not surprise me. After all, Jesus made it clear in John 15:20: "They have persecuted me, and they will persecute you." Unfortunately, the wave of persecution of Jesus' followers, which began with his own trial, never stopped. I recall an episode described in the Acts of the Apostles. The apostles were tried on false charges. However, at that time, one of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, told his colleagues: "Leave these people alone, let them go. If their purpose and their work are from people, it will perish by itself, but if it is from God, you will not destroy them. And no matter how it turns out that you are fighting with God himself!" (Acts 5:38, 39). Today, as then, Jehovah can encourage famous people — rulers, judges and legislators — to stand up for his people, acting in accordance with his will. But if he allows his servants to suffer for righteousness, then one can be sure of the following (1 Peter 3:14).

First, God can give you the strength to endure everything (1 Corinthians 10:13). Secondly, no one can destroy the work of God! Yes, dozens are in prison, but thousands are free. Those who are in prison for their faith are coping with what is happening there with dignity, because Almighty God is with them. No walls can prevent Jehovah from taking care of his Witnesses. However, the words "no matter how it turns out that you are fighting with God himself" make you think that God will ultimately judge people. No matter what position a person occupies in society and whose orders they follow, everyone will be responsible to God for their own affairs and decisions.

Let's summarize what has been said. Many lawyers, after analyzing the Gospel descriptions of the trial of Jesus, called it a mockery of justice. One lawyer writes: "The trial, which began at midnight and ended in the morning with a verdict, grossly violated all the rules and regulations of Jewish law and the principles of justice in general." The Professor of Law notes: "The whole process was one continuous lawlessness and took place with such outrageous violations that it can be called nothing more than a judicial murder."

So, in fact, we understand that Almighty God could at any moment end his son's suffering or prevent it altogether. After all, Jesus was God's dearest and most beloved son, and he was innocent. Nevertheless, Jehovah knew that his son's death was necessary in order to save people who obey God (Matthew 20:28). Jesus did this voluntarily. Jesus' love for justice was so great that he was ready to suffer the most terrible injustice in history. He did it for sinful people like you and me. This should never be forgotten. It also reminds me that Jesus did not have a goal to avoid persecution at all costs. Neither do the servants of God have such a goal today. And although Jehovah's Witnesses are not martyrs, and none of them are happy about injustice, they understand why they are being persecuted. But their love for God and desire to help sincere people learn the truth about him is so great that for this purpose they are ready to suffer and suffer unfair treatment like Jesus, without trying to avoid difficulties at any cost.

After all, the knowledge contained in the Bible gives people the opportunity to find an endless eternal life on paradise earth — a life in which there will be no more suffering and death; a life when people's hearts will be filled with genuine meaning, inexhaustible joy and deep, serene peace that close friendship with God brings. That is why Jehovah's Witnesses tell people about what they learn from the Bible. That is why they do not succumb to the fear of imprisonment enough to keep silent about these truths and blessings of God. So my main goal is to remain faithful to my God Jehovah and fulfill his will by telling about the biblical hope.

What helps the servants of God not to lose joy when faced with persecution for their faith? Christians try to treat suffering correctly, seeing it as an opportunity to develop fortitude, which is associated with the determination to do right in the eyes of God. Faced with challenges and overcoming them, Jehovah's Witnesses are becoming more resilient day by day. Even prison walls and solitary confinement cannot prevent communication with a loving heavenly Father or destroy unity among Christians. Also, thanks to the steadfastness of the Witnesses, a powerful testimony is given about their beliefs and faith.

Because of the slander spread in the media about Jehovah's Witnesses, many people in our country are victims of an information myth and consider them some kind of terrible sect or extremist organization. However, thanks to a variety of court cases, a variety of people were able to find out firsthand who Jehovah's Witnesses are, what they believe in and personally verify that they are not extremists.

From my personal experience of communicating with government representatives, I would like to mention security guards, court staff, and lawyers. All of them were able to see firsthand who Jehovah's Witnesses are, were able to get to know us better, and what is very important, none of them considers Jehovah's Witnesses criminals. So their opinion could have changed after all. And who knows, maybe the next time Jehovah's Witnesses come to them, they will listen to their message.

All attempts to prevent Jehovah's Witnesses from telling the message from the Bible do not lead to success, but, on the contrary, arouse even greater interest in this book. It seems that in this situation, the well-known aphorism "they tried to bury us, but they did not know that we were seeds" is applicable to Jehovah's Witnesses.

In the first century, many refused to believe in Jesus, but there were many who still believed in him. Among them is at least one member of the Jewish Supreme Court named Joseph (Mark 15:43). "Out of fear of the Jews," he hesitated to openly declare that he was a disciple of Jesus. By declaring his commitment to the teachings of Christ, he would have lost his high position and authority overnight. The Bible says that Joseph did not support the insidious conspiracy of the Sanhedrin against Jesus (Luke 23:51). He hated such a mockery of justice, but it was not in his power to stop this monstrous injustice. But it is impossible to constantly make a deal with conscience.

The decisive moment for Joseph was the trial of Jesus. Now the indecision was over. He managed to overcome his fear and firmly decided to choose a share of the followers of Christ. The following episode is a vivid proof of this. Joseph was next to Jesus when he breathed his last, he saw the suffering of an innocent man and his martyrdom. Who knows, maybe this is what made Joseph take a fresh look at his life and finally take the side of the truth. Having plucked up the courage, he went to Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. In the end, in a difficult hour, he did not show cowardice, but acted with faith and courage. What does the story of Joseph teach me? He encourages you to think about one very important question: "What is most important to me? Social status, career, material possessions, my freedom? Or is it still a good name before God?"

If every day is regarded as the last opportunity to show my loyalty to God, then even when facing death, I will be able to say: "Jehovah, I have done everything to remain faithful to you, prove that Satan is a liar, protect your good name and confirm the legitimacy of your dominion."

So, the facts considered clearly indicate that history repeats itself. But what will the future bring? Will Russia remember what it did in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, or will it continue to condone the spread of slander and persecution of a religious minority? Time will tell. But two things can be said with certainty right now.

Firstly, repression will not be successful. Jehovah's Witnesses will not stop talking tactfully and respectfully about Jehovah God and his Word, the Bible (1 Peter 3:15). They did not stop talking under pressure from Nazi Germany, they did not stop talking during the darkest years of repression in our country, they will not stop talking now (Acts 4:18-20).

Secondly, such terrible words as dangerous sect, enemies of the people and extremists are strong only as long as they are thoughtlessly repeated. The method of using hints and slander should not work on you. I hope that you will not take empty words for granted, but will try to get to the bottom of the matter.

In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of God, with which he strengthens me and all his faithful servants. They are recorded in Isaiah 54:17: "Any weapon made against you will be useless, and anyone who accuses you will be condemned. This is the legacy of Jehovah's servants. I consider them righteous," says Jehovah."

After all, it is God's opinion that is the main measure of innocence or guilt. My conscience is clear before Almighty God, before the state, and before you. Do you know what Emperor Nero accused the early Christians of? That they are "enemies of the state." Do you know how they were tested? They were given some blood to drink because they knew that in the Bible there is a law for Christians "not to use blood." Agree, it's been about 2,000 years, and the charges are like a carbon copy?

Your Honor, any punishment is carried out with a specific purpose — to correct the perpetrator, to show that certain actions or omissions are unacceptable and condemned by society and the law. And this is right and fair. But I don't understand exactly how I should improve. What should I do? But there is something in life that we cannot give up under any circumstances. How can you give up loving parents? How can we give up our children, whom we love and who love us? Or from our wives or husbands, who, throughout their entire life together, faithfully support us in both joy and sorrow? The answer is obvious — no way!

How can you give up on God? And my friends who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, and you saw that there are many of them who acted as defense witnesses, they are also at a loss what I am being tried for, and they have friends with whom they discuss this issue. What do you think they will conclude about justice?

Your Honor, during the trial, I saw that you, as a professional in your field, understand what a crime is. This is a socially dangerous act, as prescribed in Article 14 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as the principle prescribed in Article 6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: "punishment and other measures of a criminal nature applied to a person who has committed a crime must be fair, that is, correspond to the nature and degree of public danger of the crime, the circumstances of its commission and the identity of the culprit."

Let's not repeat history. And in view of the above, I am sure that, whatever the official decision of the court, you know inwardly that I am innocent.

Your Honor, I want to thank you once again and ask you to attach my last word to the case and acquit me.

Let's not repeat history. And in view of the above, I am sure that, whatever the official decision of the court, you know inwardly that I am innocent.

Your Honor, I want to thank you once again and ask you to attach my last word to the case and acquit me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Ivanovo region

Locality:

Teykovo

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, "they intentionally participated in the implementation of the goals of the religious organization "Jehovah's Witnesses in Teykovo" by organizing and directing events... conducting propaganda of its activities"

The number of the criminal case:

12001240014000096

Case initiated:

April 10, 2020

The current stage of the case:

Appeal

Is being investigated by:

The account of the SU of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

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

Case number in court:

1-1/2024 (1-24/2023)

Court of First Instance:

Teikovsky District Court of the Ivanovo region

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Sergey Kochetkov