The last word of the defendant Elena Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Elena Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti

March 4, 2024

Samara region

Using historical facts as an example, the believer showed the court that Jehovah's Witnesses are not guilty of what they are accused of. "Being illegally persecuted and accused of extremism now," Elena said, "I absolutely feel no resentment, no anger, no thirst for revenge against my accusers."

Transcript of the court session in the Central District Court of Tolyatti dated 03/04/2024 in the case 1-45/2024 (1-525/2023) on charges of Kozhevnikova Elena Yuryevna of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Kozhevnikova Elena Yurievna:

Your Honor! I want to thank you for your kindness. I felt your respectful attitude towards me throughout the whole process. You carefully tried to delve into the essence of the matter. You allowed me to speak freely, listened to me, patiently explained why sometimes the state prosecution withdrew my questions, and always met me halfway when I asked for something.

Dear Elena Valentinovna, protecting me, you made sure that there were no flaws that would violate my rights. For you, my case was something new in your practice, and you gained valuable experience in protecting Jehovah's Witnesses.

Dear Public Prosecutor, Of course, it is not an easy task to accuse an innocent person, but thanks to this, I have the opportunity to speak to you in defense of my faith. Dear Court Secretary, I respect your painstaking work, thanks to which the minutes of the court session were clearly kept.

Thank you, my dear friends! You have always supported me both in the courtroom and in the hallway outside the courtroom. Your smiles, warm words, applause, flowers and gifts warmed my heart and gave me confidence and strength.

I want to start my last word with the proverb: "Do not renounce prison, but do not renounce the purse!" My grandmother also said it. This proverb means that life can suddenly turn its worst for everyone and the guilty often end up in prison without guilt. The reason for this was a painful hypocrisy or the usual slander at all times. And for some reason I thought that if you try to live honestly, it will never touch you. How naive I was then!

The peacefulness of Jehovah's Witnesses is known all over the world by the fact that they do not take up arms and do not even learn to fight. The Bible urges: "Do not reward evil for evil to anyone, but take care of the good before all people. If possible on your part, be at peace with all people. Do not avenge yourself, beloved, but give place to the wrath of God. For it is written, "Vengeance is upon me, I will repay, saith the Lord." Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink: for in doing this, you will gather burning coals on his head" (Romans 12:17-20).

What motivates us to live in accordance with this noble principle? Why aren't we taking revenge? There are several reasons for this. First of all, we do not repay evil for evil because it is right.** We believe that since God shows us compassion, it is right and reasonable to trust Jehovah and willingly obey his commandments. This command also includes loving even our enemies, that is, treating those who treat us badly with kindness.

Secondly, this is how we show love. By refraining from revenge and promoting peace, we hope to help even the fiercest opponents become servants of Jehovah.

Thirdly, we show modesty. It would be presumptuous to avenge yourself. Therefore, humble people reserve for God the right to avenge the wrong done.

Despite all the accusations that have been made against me, I have no feelings of guilt, remorse or shame, because I did not commit any reprehensible actions. And, being subjected to illegal persecution and accusations of extremism now, I absolutely do not feel any resentment, anger, or thirst for revenge against my accusers. On the contrary, I try to follow the biblical advice to "pray for all those in high positions" when they have to make decisions that may affect religious freedom.

I have amazing peace and tranquility in my heart! I trust Jehovah that since he allowed such a development of events, it means that he has reasons for it. And my job is to patiently wait for Jehovah God to deem it necessary to intervene himself. I am expected to remain calm, show respect for the authorities and the court, provide evidence of my innocence and explain my attitude to the court on various issues. Therefore, with a clear conscience, I dare say that I had absolutely no purpose to commit an extremist crime and I want to note that all my actions were exclusively peaceful in nature.

Probably, such a position looks somehow unusual, therefore it is incomprehensible. Why did Jesus Christ say to his disciples: "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but as you are not of the world, but I have chosen you from the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19). Here, the word "peace" refers to humanity alienated from God. What did Jesus mean by that? He meant that his students would be persecuted, but they would remain neutral.

We, Jehovah's Witnesses, do not take sides in political issues and armed conflicts. We are neither for nor against any party or candidate. It looks, for example, like a wall that has started to fall, and our neutral position is that we do not support it so that it does not fall, but also do not push it so that it falls faster. This is how we show that we are completely devoted to the government of God — his Kingdom. This government is established in heaven, so it does not have its own territory on earth, the borders of which the disciples of Jesus would need to defend with weapons in their hands. And because of our Christian position, as events eloquently show, we have once again become the object of hatred and persecution.

When I read the biographies of our brothers and sisters, I remember one incident that happened in 1957. Then the authorities took up the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with renewed vigor. One brother was arrested and interrogated for two months. He was a German by nationality. At that time, the word "German" was perceived by many as "fascist". The Germans were hated. During the interrogation, the investigator asked: "Aren't you German?" The brother replied: "If we talk about the Germans who were held in concentration camps by the Nazis, I am proud of such Germans. They were called bibelforschers. I am proud that none of Jehovah's Witnesses fired a bullet from a machine gun or a shell from a cannon. I am sure that not a single Witness participated in the riots and uprisings. At the same time, the Witnesses recognize the legitimate authorities and obey them." To which the investigator replied: "We have never watched anyone so closely as the Witnesses and their activities. If you had been seen at least in anything, in shedding just one drop of blood, we would have shot you all."

Please note, even at that time, the competent authorities were aware of our peaceful position. Our position has not changed since that time: Just as Jehovah's Witnesses did not take up arms even in the midst of the war, so they do not take them now. History has repeatedly shown that Jehovah's Witnesses are not guilty of what they are accused of. It's just unclear why they don't want to admit it. But our position clearly shows that the accusations of extremism against us and me personally are presumptive and far-fetched, unfounded and unsupported by any facts.

In Luke 21:12-14, 16, 17 it is written: "But first of all, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you into synagogues and prisons, and they will lead you before kings and rulers for my name, and this will be for your testimony. You will also be betrayed by your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be put to death. And you will be hated by everyone for My name."

To persecute, to betray, to throw into prisons. Does this remind you of anything? Prophecies have always served as a warning, indicating the time when decisive events will occur. Isn't what is happening now proof that the time for God's intervention in the affairs of the earth has come? The same chapter goes on to describe what follows next. This is interesting: "And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, but on earth the despondency of nations and perplexity; and the sea will make a noise and be indignant; people will gasp with fear and expectation of disasters coming to the universe, for the powers of heaven will be shaken, and then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory. But when these things begin to come true, then rise up and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is at hand" (Luke 21:25-28).

And what prompted me to take the side of Jehovah's Witnesses? This is confidence in the future in these last days. I have become convinced that the Bible is the Word of God and that is why I want to live by its principles. I learned about fulfilled prophecies from the Bible, got answers to my questions and found useful tips for myself. Biblical prophecies are predictions for the future. Agree, who wouldn't like to look into the future? What awaits us there? This question seemed intriguing to me, especially since the prophecies recorded in the Bible have always been fulfilled, no matter how improbable they may seem.

Jehovah's witnesses, including me, tell us that Jehovah is the true God, the only one worthy of our worship. This was recorded in the prophecy of Isaiah 43:9-12: "Let all nations come together. Let the tribes meet. Which of their gods can predict the future? And tell me what will happen soon? Let them prove their case, let them bring their witnesses. So that, after listening, they would confirm: "You are my witnesses,— says Jehovah, —my servant whom I have chosen. So that you know me, believe in me and understand that I am the same. There was no God before me. And there is no God who would appear after me. I am, I am Jehovah. And there is no savior but me." "I said it, and I saved it, and I made it known. When you didn't have foreign gods. You are my witnesses," says Jehovah, —and I am God."

Jehovah God has always had his own people on earth. Back in those early days, Jehovah made it clear to the Israelites, the whole nation, that they had the duty to be his witnesses. The modern people of Jehovah also, as a witness, must directly and clearly confirm that Jehovah is the only true God. We do this because the true God Jehovah has given us the right and entrusted us with the responsibility to say that he rules by right and that his supreme authority is worthy of recognition.

Why did it become necessary to justify the name of God at all? This issue is related to the rebellion in Eden. God Jehovah did not want people to suffer. On the contrary, he gave the first human couple everything for a happy life. And God's opponent, Satan, a rebellious angel, accused God of lying and pushed Adam and Eve to reject God's authority. What was Satan trying to achieve? Satan did not challenge Jehovah's power, he challenged his authority. What did it lead to? Having turned away from God, Adam and Eve, in fact, began to obey Satan. They rebelled against Jehovah, arrogating to themselves the right to decide what is good and what is evil. Was Satan right? Can people become successful if they manage themselves without turning to God for help? It took time to answer these important questions, which Jehovah provided.

An example illustrates this situation well. During the lesson, one of the students boldly declares that the teacher incorrectly explains how to solve the problem. He claims to know the best way to solve it. Some students think that their friend is right, and they take his side. What should a teacher do? Using his power, he can restrain impudent students. But then what will others think? They may feel that the teacher is afraid to admit his mistake, and they will lose all respect for him. But if the teacher gives the student the opportunity to solve the problem in his own way, then it will become clear to everyone who is right and who is wrong. The student took a long time to solve, but in the end he could not solve the problem. The teacher was right! So Jehovah did something similar. After all, millions of angels watched Satan's rebellion, and the future of these angels, and eventually all intelligent creatures, including you and me, depended on Jehovah's actions.

How do those distant events affect us? This explains why Jehovah allowed Satan to become the ruler of this world for a while. He also allowed people to create their own forms of government under the guidance of Satan. In the end, Satan's rule brought only pain and suffering. But when it is finally proved that only Jehovah's rule can bring happiness to people and that only he can be the Supreme Ruler, he will compensate for all the damage caused by Satan's rebellion. At that time, only those people who love and obey God will live on earth.

Also, the trial that is taking place now proves that Jehovah was sure back in the Garden of Eden that there would be those among people who would want to protect his holy name and serve him out of love!

When I found out about this controversial issue, I saw the dangerous situation people are in at this crucial time of the end. After all, this information not only protects the reputation of the name of God, this information is also important for people. But how will people be saved if no one tells them? I wanted to tell you about it so that others would also see a way out for themselves. God Jehovah wants to bring order to the earth and warns in advance that this world is doomed, it looks like a sinking ship. The lives of thousands of people depend on whether they hear the words of God and learn to act in accordance with them. After all, people who lie, steal, and kill can still change for the better. They need to learn how to radically change their thinking and behavior and thus avoid the impending disaster.

Jehovah God could take advantage of the world's media, but he is interested in the well-being of every person and wants to take a personal interest in everyone. In the Gospel of Matthew 24:14 it is predicted: "The glad tidings of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the earth so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come." Today, only a blind person will not notice how the business of witnessing is going on on a global scale. Through the fulfillment of this grandiose task, Jehovah's dominion and power are magnified, as well as his love, mercy and patience.

It takes my breath away that I personally was lucky enough to participate in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Isn't this a testament to my love for God and for people? My views are the exact opposite of what is called extremism. Why would I undermine the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and incite racial, national and religious strife if it contradicts the plan of God, to whom I want to be obedient? I have friends of different nationalities among Jehovah's Witnesses, respect for fellow believers, and a rich, interesting and meaningful life.

Your Honor, dear court! I am very glad that you also had the opportunity to hear the life-saving news today. Imagine how amazing life will be when, instead of death, old age and pain, everyone will be alive, young and full of strength! Instead of wars and their terrible consequences, peace, harmony and security will come. And instead of fear and hard thoughts, eternal life in the best conditions!

Your Honor, I have nothing to do with extremism! My actions were exclusively peaceful and were a way of expressing my faith in God. And by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the state gave me the right to have my own beliefs and act in accordance with them.

Your Honor! I ask the court to find me innocent and acquit me!

Summary of the case

Region:

Samara region

Locality:

Tolyatti

What is suspected of:

"In an unspecified period of time... being in an unidentified place by the investigation, being a citizen of the Russian Federation, she joined the religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and local religious organizations included in its structure [...] Organized the production and distribution of paper media containing the ideology of the above-mentioned religious organization" (from the Resolution on bringing as an accused).

Criminal case number:

12302360032000243

Case initiated:

May 15, 2023

Current stage of the case:

Appeal

Is investigating:

SU IC of the Russian Federation for the Samara region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-45/2024 (1-525/2023)

Court of First Instance:

The Central District Court of Tolyatti

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Irina Onuchina