The last word of the defendant Sergei Gobozev in Votkinsk

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Sergei Gobozev in Votkinsk

March 18, 2024

Udmurtia

The believer told about his life, that he was a simple pensioner who honestly deserved the title of a labor veteran. He asked the court: "Is this the kind of life that extremists lead? Extremism and my religious beliefs are incompatible."

Transcript of the court session in the Votkinsk District Court of the Udmurt Republic dated 03/18/2024 on the case 1-6/2024 (1-9/2023; 1-25/2022; 1-542/2021) on the accusation of Sergei Borisovich Gobozev and Mikhail Nikolaevich Potapov of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Gobozev Sergey Borisovich:

Your Honor, dear participants in the process! In the last word, I want to draw attention to what I am accused of — committing a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state, extremism. But this formulation does not apply to me in any way. Extremism is a call for violent actions by the social masses. But as a believer and a law-abiding citizen, I have not engaged in extremist activities. Extremism and my religious beliefs are incompatible.

Currently, I am an adherent of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I have tried and am trying to be an exemplary citizen of Russia. Throughout my life, I had no criminal record, I did not have a single police report. I was not involved in any illegal acts, I tried to lead a peaceful and peaceful life. He worked all his life for the benefit of the state, for which he was awarded the title of "Veteran of Labor". Is this the kind of life that extremists lead? I believe that I am not being tried for violating the law, not for a committed and proven crime, but simply because I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by law, according to the canons of my Bible-based religion. No one has banned religion in Russia. And being a Jehovah's Witness is not a crime under Russian law. Personally, it is a great honor for me to be a Jehovah's Witness.

When God created man, he gave him a guide to life — the Bible. It gives very good advice on how to arrange your life, how to behave properly and raise children. I live by the principles of "love your neighbor as yourself", "be at peace with all people", "defeat evil with good", "God hates those who love violence", "consider others above yourself", "be slow to anger", "let every soul obey the highest authorities", that is state authorities and their representatives represented by law enforcement and judicial authorities… The Bible also encourages me, as a husband, to love my wife and develop good qualities: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, mercy, meekness, faith, self-control. All this helps me to be a law-abiding and peaceful citizen.

Reading the Bible, discussing it with other people, praying to God, singing songs praising God, which are not extremist actions, are of great importance in my life. I am categorically against extremism.

The friends who come to support me have never organized any riots, rallies or marches, or spoken negatively about other people or government agencies, which was clearly visible for many months while the court hearings were taking place. This is my social circle, by which you can judge me and my lifestyle.

No amount of money can buy a good reputation. The Bible verse from Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name [or a good reputation] is better than great wealth." Unfortunately, the media, including television, often publish deliberately false information about Jehovah's Witnesses, but there is one "but". Jehovah's Witnesses live among people. Each of us has relatives, neighbors, colleagues, classmates, classmates. They know where we live and in what conditions. There are cases when a person, having heard on television or read false information about Jehovah's Witnesses on the Internet, said: "Yes, if I did not know these people personally, I would believe this information." Therefore, I can say with confidence that the media will not be able to tarnish the good reputation of Jehovah's Witnesses, including mine.

Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian religion whose creed and name are based on the Bible. The Book of Isaiah says: "You are my witnesses," says Jehovah, "my servant whom I have chosen so that you may know me and believe in me" (Isaiah 43:10). The name of our denomination means that believers "testify" (tell) by their words and deeds, by their way of life to people around us about God and the benefits of living according to his biblical norms for both the person himself and society as a whole. Jehovah is the name of God, the Creator of all that exists. This name was known and used in their works by Russian and foreign poets and writers, it is depicted on various architectural monuments and ancient coins. Jesus Christ is a Great Teacher, the Son of God, who in practice showed how to actually show love for God and his neighbors, setting an example for his followers to follow. He is an example for me, and I try to follow this example in my life.

The prosecution is unfairly trying to blacken my well-deserved reputation. There are no victims in the case, and I did not cause any harm to the state. As a believer, extremism in all its manifestations is alien to me.

It is a pity that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is purposefully perceived as a ban on religion (faith) and that any worship services (meetings of a religious group of believers) Jehovah's Witnesses are considered an organization and continuation of the activities of an extremist organization, and any conversations on religious topics are considered participation in this activity. Therefore, Your Honor, you have a difficult task ahead of you to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not forbidden for believers to do.

The prosecution tried to prove that if the goals and objectives of the MRO coincided with the services, then the services automatically become a continuation of the activity and, therefore, are prohibited. But this is not the case. If the pizzeria was closed, it does not mean that now anyone who makes pizza automatically pursues the goal of continuing the pizzeria's activities. If for some reason a church parish or mosque was closed, this does not mean that believers cannot pray, gather with co-religionists or read the Bible, since such a provision would be in the Statutes of these churches or mosques. This is absurd.

Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation says that believers have the right to profess their religion, despite the closure of a church or mosque, this does not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Believers can hold worship services as part of religious groups that were not banned by the Supreme Court on April 20, 2017 and, therefore, were not recognized as extremist. So what am I being held accountable for? I sincerely do not understand.

None of the numerous prosecution witnesses confirmed my involvement in any crime, let alone an extremist orientation. They gave extremely positive characteristics.

However, the prosecution continued to turn me from a law-abiding peaceful citizen into a malicious criminal without evidence. But there was no extremism in my actions and words, the prosecution did not provide any evidence of this. I want to emphasize the following: the physical evidence examined in court indicates only religious affiliation, and not the fact of the commission of a crime. Neither the Supreme Court nor the Government of the Russian Federation consider it illegal to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Of course, I share this point of view.

I have not committed any violations in my entire life. I am a simple pensioner who honestly earned the title of "Veteran of Labor" for my conscientious work for the benefit of the state. And today I am being prosecuted for a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state. Your Honor, I sincerely cannot understand what kind of actions confirm this? It's really a shock to me. I am suddenly an "extremist."

The court faces a difficult but very responsible task to see the difference between the activities of a banned legal entity that has ceased to exist and the goals for the resumption of which I have never had; the difference between the worship services of believers of a religious group of an unbridled religion, which were conducted without signs of extremism: reading the Bible, meeting and communicating on religious topics, They sang songs and prayed to Jehovah God, as did other 8.5 million Jehovah's Witnesses all over the earth.

And in conclusion, I want to thank all the participants in the trial for spending so much time and effort on this case to sort everything out in a peaceful and respectful atmosphere in which the court sessions were held. And although several years of preliminary investigation and court hearings have significantly affected my physical and emotional health, I am very glad that I was able to defend my good name and the name of my God, whom I worship.

Jesus Christ was known for his sympathetic attitude and willingness to help different people. He put himself in the place of another person and felt someone else's pain in his heart, and this prompted him to do everything possible to help. I am learning to show the same qualities in my life and I will very much forgive you, Your Honor, to show me sympathy and restore my good name before people and before the state, which I treat with great respect, and make a fair decision against me, finding me innocent.

Summary of the case

Region:

Udmurtia

Locality:

Votkinsk

What is suspected of:

"During illegal religious gatherings organized and led by Gobozev and Potapov, articles from the book "Holy Scripture — Translation of the New World" were studied" (from the decision on bringing as an accused)

Criminal case number:

12102940001000201

Case initiated:

January 20, 2021

Current stage of the case:

Proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigating:

SU IC of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-9/2023 (1-25/2022; 1-542/2021)

Court:

Votkinsky District Court of the Udmurt Republic

Referee:

Tamara Makarova