The last word of the defendant Vladimir Spivak in Teikov

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Vladimir Spivak in Teikov

February 22, 2024

Ivanovo region

The believer explained to the court his feelings: "It's scary that in our democratic country in the 21st century, medieval trials are taking place against people whose fault is only that they believe in God and live according to biblical laws."

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 charges of Vladimir Vladimirovich Spivak and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Spivak, Vladimir Vladimirovich:

Your Honor, I've been thinking for a long time where to begin my last word. Why is it taking so long? I just didn't know how or what to talk about, because for the first time in my 68 years I was faced with a situation where a criminal case was opened against me, and I really don't know what to say in this situation.

Since I am a Christian, a Jehovah's Witness, I will begin my last word by saying that I want to thank you, Your Honor, for the fact that for almost a year, while the court sessions were going on, you treated all of us humanely and with respect, helped us in how to correctly paraphrase certain questions. At the same time, you were patient with us, probably because you saw that we really did not understand these legal issues. They also treated me with understanding when I needed to take my wife to Yaroslavl for surgery. Thank you so much for this!

I also want to thank the prosecutor for your humane attitude towards us. This was expressed in the fact that when it was necessary to voice some personal information, you missed it or it was read out in the presence of only the court and the accused.

We are also grateful to Olga Nikolaevna for her human kindness and good attitude towards all of us.

In addition, I want to say that I am 100% sure that each of you understands that we are not extremists or criminals, but peaceful, law-abiding citizens of our country, and our only fault is that we are Jehovah's Witnesses.

I also want to say a big thank you to my lawyer for the legal assistance he provided to us throughout all these court sessions.

But I especially want to thank my God Jehovah for finding something good in me and leading me on this path of truth and leading me along it today. I also thank Jehovah for his laws and biblical principles, which helped me become a different person — a person who tries to live by his commandments, love God and love people and look forward to the future with hope.

But to become the kind of person who wants to live according to biblical laws, you must agree that it is not easy to do this today. Why? Because you and I live in a difficult time, in the Bible it is called the last days of this evil system of things, in which violence, lies, injustice flourish, and all this affects all people.

Therefore, as a Jehovah's Witness, as an imperfect person, in order to do right in the eyes of Jehovah, I have to make efforts every time to act wisely. But today it is especially necessary to make efforts to live according to the norms of Jehovah. Why?

The Bible says that because of the multiplication of iniquity, "love will grow cold in many," which we are witnessing with our own eyes today. The Bible also warns that in the last days of this system of things — and we are talking about our time — not only the characters of people will change, which is clearly visible today (people are selfish, loving money, ungrateful, cruel, not loving goodness, slanderers, loving pleasure, but not loving God). Not only the characters of people will change, but also the fact that in the last days of this system, people will call good evil, and evil — good. And it's impossible not to see it today.

I am very grateful to Jehovah for giving me such a wife, who became for me not only a wife, but also a true friend, my soulmate, who was always by my side, even in the most difficult moments of my life. And today she is also with me, for which I am very grateful to her.

I also thank my God Jehovah for giving me such a family — the international, worldwide family of Jehovah's Witnesses. And you, Your Honor, and everyone in this room saw that throughout the court sessions, which lasted almost a year, various members of my family were present at all court sessions. It has never happened that this or other courtrooms were empty, it has never happened. On the contrary, sometimes there was not always enough space for everyone.

I especially want to say that these court sessions were attended not only by members of my spiritual family who live in our city, but also by our co-religionists from different cities of our country to support all of us. Our brothers and sisters in other countries of the world are praying for us. And so we also feel their support. Thank you very much, our dear ones, for your brotherly support and the love that you show not in words, but in deeds.

Therefore, in my last word, I want to draw the attention of the court, as well as all those present in this hall, to the fact that today my friends and I, Jehovah's Witnesses, are being tried in different cities of our country not because we committed some crime. No, we are being judged today for being Jehovah's Witnesses, for being believers who worship the living God Jehovah. This is our whole fault, this is our whole crime, and what is in the 47 volumes of the so—called criminal case is completely absurd. Moreover, in these criminal volumes there is not a single piece of evidence or fact confirming certain charges that are attributed to us.

You know, Your Honor, sometimes when I close my eyes, especially at night, when I reflect on what is happening to me and my friends, it seems to me that I live in the XVI or XVII centuries, when a person who found a Bible at home was impaled or burned alive at the stake. But when I open my eyes, I see that no, I am not in the XVI century, but in the XXI. And you know, Your Honor, sometimes it gets scary. It's not scary that we will be sentenced in one way or another — after all, not only we are the accused and those who are present in this hall, but you also know that we are not extremists at all — it's scary that in our democratic country in the 21st century medieval trials are taking place against people whose guilt consists only of that they believe in God and live according to biblical laws.

Today we are being tried, Your Honor, not because we violated any law or committed any crime, no, we did not do anything like that. Our whole fault is that we are Jehovah's Witnesses. But do you know, Your Honor, what comforts me and gives me and my friends the strength to survive what is happening in our country today? This is recorded in the Bible, in 1 Peter 2:19, 20: "After all, if a person bravely endures difficulties and suffers undeservedly, wanting to keep a clear conscience before God, then he pleases God with this. But if you tolerate being beaten for your sins, what's so special about it? But if you endure, suffering for good deeds, then you are pleasing God."

What is happening to us, not only in our city, but in our country as a whole, I will name just two reasons for this. The first reason was recorded by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12: "Yes, all followers of Christ Jesus who want to faithfully serve God will be persecuted." Therefore, Your Honor, it is not surprising to me that this is being done to us, because Jesus was not persecuted for any crime. He was persecuted for preaching the Good News. We are also being persecuted for this, because we are Jehovah's Witnesses.

The second reason is recorded in the Gospel of Luke 21:12, 13: "But before all this happens, people will persecute you, they will grab you, bring you to the synagogues for trial and throw you into prisons. Because of my name, you will be led to kings and rulers. This will give you the opportunity to preach." But who should we preach to in this room? Of course, to you, Your Honor, to the prosecutor, the court secretary, and lawyers, because you are busy people who put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that all people in our country, regardless of their nationality, faith, or social status, respect and comply with the laws of our country, because you have this responsibility responsibility is not only before the law, but also before Jehovah God. The Bible says that the existing authorities are allowed by Jehovah. Therefore, every person, including all representatives of the authorities, will give an account to Jehovah at the time set by God. This confirms the biblical principle — "everyone will give an account to God for himself."

And the fact that we are in this Hall today speaks to God's great love for you, Your Honor, and for all who are present in this hall. After all, thanks to these court sessions, you not only learned who Jehovah's Witnesses are, but also heard the good or happy news that Jehovah promises to all obedient people. Yes, Your Honor, Jehovah wants all people, including you, to hear this message about what the future holds for all people who will live according to his standards of good and evil, which were established by our Creator Jehovah. But he doesn't want to force people to live by his standards. On the contrary, he wants people to do it out of love for him. At the same time, he warns in his Word, the Bible, that every person not only can make certain decisions in his life, but also must be responsible for this or that decision he has made. This confirms the biblical principle "what a man sows, he will reap."

Therefore, I am very grateful to Jehovah for using me so that people who devote a lot of time and effort to ensuring that all citizens in our country are equal before the law can hear the good news from God.

In conclusion, I would like to draw the court's attention once again to the absurdity of this accusation, which has been announced to us, and the lack of evidence of our guilt. 47 volumes of the case are built on lies and deception. The absurdity of this accusation is that we, Jehovah's Witnesses, will never do what is said in these 47 volumes, there is not a single proof of our guilt, but only lies and deception. It is so sewn with white threads that even we, people who do not have legal knowledge, see the inconsistency of this accusation.

In conclusion, I want to say that I do not plead guilty to any of the charges against me. I believe that all these persecutions that my friends and I have faced are persecutions for faith; for being a believer; for being a Jehovah's Witness.

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