The last word of the defendant Yuri Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Yuri Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk

March 17, 2023

Krasnoyarsk Territory

From the courtroom

In his last speech, Yuri Yakovlev listed the historical events that contributed to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the XX and XXI centuries. "Jehovah's Witnesses have always been a target," he said. The defendant told how the Bible helped believers to stand in these trials.

Transcript of the court session in the Sosnovoborsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory dated 03/17/2023 in the case 1-5/2023 (1-89/2022) on charges of Yuri Yakovlev of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Yakovlev Yuri Alexandrovich:

Your Honor, I want to start my speech by thanking you, Anastasia Vladimirovna, for trying to get to the bottom of the matter. For almost a year, you have patiently listened to the prosecution's witnesses, the prosecutor, the lawyer, and me. Thank you for that!

I think this is the first such trial in your practice. Firstly, because they are being tried for believing in God, and secondly, long sentences have been requested, but there are no victims! There is not a single specific person or organization, and even the state has not been affected in any way. And, actually, there was no crime as such either. In fact, the victims are myself and my family, in particular, my elderly mother, who was left without proper care.

I also want to thank Secretary Alyona. You tried to carefully keep records of court sessions, during which many religious terms and expressions were used. You were able to arrange for the presence of every single witness involved in the case. Your punctuality and organization are commendable.

Dear State Prosecutor, I see that you have no prejudice or anger towards me personally or towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. Thank you for that! You just do your job carefully and you can't do it any other way. I thought we were similar. You, like me, have been deprived of your freedom. I was imprisoned for my faith, and you were deprived of the freedom to choose whether a person is guilty or not. Otherwise, seeing and hearing the evidence of my innocence, you would ask the court to find me innocent!

Many thanks to my lawyer Bella Selmurzaevna! Your work deserves the most sincere praise and appreciation. You are a professional in your field. Each time you traveled about 30 km in one direction only to get to this process. Your sincerity and warm attitude towards me have supported me all this time.

And I also want to say thank you to the convoy for treating me with respect, as well as for timely delivery to the court.

I would like to express my special gratitude to all my friends! I have a lot of them, and they all showed attention to my family in various ways, which was simply invaluable to me. For example, through parcels and letters. During my 12 months in jail, I received more than 4,000 letters from all over the world, in which there were warm words of support, photos, pictures, and children's drawings. Thanks to these letters, I felt that I was not abandoned, not abandoned. I felt even more strongly our strong Christian bonds of love. My cellmates were amazed at such attention from people I don't even know personally, but they are all my brothers and sisters, they all sincerely worried about me! The staff of the pre-trial detention center wished me a speedy release, as our letters repeatedly increased their work.

I am especially grateful to my friends who personally took care of me all this time: coming to court sessions, sending parcels, coming to the pre-trial detention center with broadcasts, as well as bringing such delicious homemade food to the Berezovsky detention center! To get to my place for a short-term appointment, they had to arrive at the pre-trial detention center early in the morning at 7:30. I am very grateful to you for such care and attention to me!

And of course, my heart is overflowing with gratitude to my God Jehovah! This year turned out to be the most difficult in my life, but thanks to this ordeal, I felt the support and care of my Heavenly Father more than ever! I prayed to him for excessive power and received it. Jehovah was with me in all my troubles and gave me the necessary guidance. I understood even more what it means to rely on God, during this year I gained invaluable experience, and my relationship with God strengthened!

The book by the famous religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko "About people who never part with the Bible" asks an interesting question: "Why do many people in Russia do not understand Jehovah's Witnesses?" The attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses in our days has been influenced by traditions accumulated over many centuries.

Until the tenth century, the country was pagan. In 988, Prince Vladimir declared Christianity the dominant state religion and ordered his subjects to be baptized, threatening those who disobey that they will become his enemies. For several centuries after that, the inhabitants of Russia were formally Orthodox, but deep down they remained adherents of pagan rituals and beliefs.

Russian Russians, as P. N. Milyukov noted in the book "The History of Russian Culture" (1902), remained "pagans under a thin film of external Christian rites." Many researchers have noted that most peasants of tsarist Russia had pagan ideas at the household level (belief in brownies, goblins, mermaids, various superstitions), although outwardly in official life they behaved like Orthodox believers (visited the temple and performed basic rituals).

Neither the state nor the church were distinguished by religious tolerance, and all opponents of Orthodoxy were ruthlessly dealt with. The desire to study the Bible deeply was not considered obligatory for ordinary believers.

Until 1905, when Emperor Nicholas II issued a Manifesto on Religious Tolerance, the Orthodox Church occupied the dominant position in tsarist Russia, and the activities of all other religions and confessions were subject to greater or lesser restrictions. In 1905-1917, certain traditions of religious tolerance began to take shape, but the October Revolution of 1917 interrupted this process.

The religious situation in the USSR

In 1917, the de facto monopoly of Orthodoxy that existed in tsarist Russia was replaced by the dictatorship of atheistic ideology.

During the years of Soviet rule, most of the population did not stand up for the church, oppressed by the totalitarian state, and many even took part in the destruction of churches. During the years of Soviet power, those who retained their affiliation with the church, as a rule, did not have the opportunity to engage in religious self-education, study the Bible and Christian literature.

Throughout the history of the USSR, Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to repression for their religious views, especially during the period of Stalinism. Jehovah's Witnesses were bitterly persecuted because, unlike most religious organizations, they did not agree to the state controlling their religious life. Therefore, they seemed to the authorities to be one of the most dangerous "anti-Soviet" organizations.

In 1991, Jehovah's Witnesses were rehabilitated. The authorities recognized the obvious: Jehovah's Witnesses, without compromising on matters of faith, never participated in politics and did not aim to fight against any political regime, including that which existed in the USSR.

But if the state has rehabilitated Jehovah's Witnesses, then in public opinion their full rehabilitation is still far away.

If you ask the "average" Russian, who has not personally encountered Jehovah's Witnesses, what he knows about them, then the answer will be either silence or the answer that this is some kind of "dangerous sect". Why do the majority of Russians not understand Jehovah's Witnesses and have a negative attitude towards them? First of all, because hostile propaganda against Jehovah's Witnesses has been conducted in Russia for many decades. The seeds of discontent sown then are sprouting now.

But there is another reason — the relatively low religiosity of Russians. Believers make up about half of the population, and among those who consider themselves believers, only a small part are familiar with the Bible. Therefore, the logic of the actions of believers who build their lives in accordance with biblical principles is incomprehensible to most Russians.

Here is just one example that is more eloquent than many numbers. Natalia Dementieva, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation in 1997-1998, when asked by Argumenty I Fakty, the most widely circulated weekly in Russia, at what age she read the Bible, replies: "Alas, I did not read it. I know her from my grandmother's retellings" (Arguments and facts. 1998. No. 5. p. 9).

It is difficult for Jehovah's Witnesses to find understanding among most Russians when they urge them to study the Bible carefully and follow biblical principles in everyday life. Among non-believers who do not know the Bible and do not consider it authoritative, the arguments of Jehovah's Witnesses based on the Bible often do not meet with a response. They consider Jehovah's Witnesses themselves to be "fanatics" who believe in some myths and want to make other people believe in them.

Among the majority of believers who do not know the Bible well and trust the authority of the clergy more, Jehovah's Witnesses, who constantly appeal to the Bible, also often do not find support. The rapid growth in the number of Jehovah's Witnesses scares those who see them as dangerous competitors. People seeking to find God, of whom there have always been many in Russia, respond to the preaching of Jehovah's Witnesses. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

The transformation of Jehovah's Witnesses into a fast-growing religious organization provoked a negative reaction from a number of other faiths, who saw Jehovah's Witnesses as competitors. First of all, we are talking about the Russian Orthodox Church. At the Bishops' Council (1994), the ROC opposed those religious organizations that it considers dangerous not only for itself, but also for society and the state. The list of these dangerous "destructive" and "totalitarian" organizations also includes Jehovah's Witnesses.

Your Honor, who can be threatened by Jehovah's Witnesses? What is blamed on Jehovah's Witnesses by the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church? In 1997, the Missionary Department of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church published the handbook "New Religious Organizations of Russia of a destructive and occult nature." The handbook contains serious accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses, including criminal offenses: theft of children, murder, incitement to murder, fraud, theft, racism (see p. 198).

You can accuse anyone of anything, but what do the facts say? In Proverbs 22:1 it is written: "A good name (or, in other words, a good reputation) is better than a lot of wealth." Why can you say that? Because no amount of money can buy a good reputation. Jehovah's Witnesses have such a reputation. Unfortunately, the media and television continue to publish imaginary information about Jehovah's Witnesses today, as if they take away apartments, houses, money, allegedly refuse treatment themselves and do not treat their children, and all other lies. One could believe this information, but there is one "but". Jehovah's Witnesses live among people. Each of us has relatives, neighbors, work colleagues, classmates, classmates. They know where we live and in what conditions. There are cases when a person, having heard false information about Jehovah's Witnesses on television, said: "Perhaps I would have believed this information if I hadn't known Jehovah's Witnesses personally!"

Therefore, I can say with confidence that no one will be able to tarnish the good reputation of Jehovah's Witnesses! There is no basis for all these accusations and there has never been any basis. Your Honor, I want to say that every Jehovah's Witness is a unique person. We have strong families built on biblical principles. We appreciate the joys of life — marital love, companionship, delicious food, drinks and travel. Those who know Jehovah's Witnesses personally are convinced that these are honest people who can be trusted with money and valuables. The owners of many companies are willing to hire Jehovah's Witnesses, because they understand that they will not rob them and will not appropriate part of the proceeds.

The law-abiding of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the biblical principles "Give Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's things to God" (Matthew 22:21) and "Let every soul be obedient to higher authorities" (Romans 13:1). Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they should obey all human laws that do not contradict the laws of God. However, in cases where there are contradictions between the duties established by people and the biblical principles, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, they are guided by the laws established by God, following the rule "One must obey God more than men" (Acts 5:29).

In many Christian churches, the idea has taken root that a true believer must constantly feel his sinfulness, grieve for his sins, and feel like the last of the sinners. This creates a special psychological mood among believers, forms a personality that is almost constantly in a depressed, gloomy mood, avoids laughter, fun, jokes.

Jehovah's Witnesses have a completely different attitude. The biblical admonition "always rejoice" is closer to us (First Thessalonians 5:16). Jehovah's Witnesses appreciate fun, the joy of companionship, and good jokes. There are many people with an excellent sense of humor among them.

What are the origins of the optimistic worldview of Jehovah's Witnesses? The fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the God they serve is a happy God! The Bible gives hope for a happy future, we are sure that troubles and misfortunes will soon be a thing of the past, and an endless life in paradise on earth awaits us! When a person has hope, which has a solid foundation, he is able to overcome any difficulties and remain joyful!

Another amazing feature of Jehovah's Witnesses is their attitude to the Bible. She is always with us! Even when imprisoned, any Jehovah's Witness first of all tries to get the Bible. It is not so much physical food that is important to him, but spiritual food! I will tell you an interesting case.

Previously, it was forbidden for prisoners to keep the Bible. Bibles were taken away during searches. In one of the northern camps, a Jehovah's Witness worked as an electrician and kept Bible books in transformer booths where the voltage was very high. Each of the parts of the Bible was tied by a thread to a certain wire, and only this person knew which thread to pull in order to pull out, for example, the Gospel of Matthew and at the same time not receive a fatal electric shock. Of course, no searches, no matter how hard the guards tried, yielded no results, and this unique Bible was never found.

Today it is easier in this regard. Prisoners are not forbidden to read the Bible. My friends gave me the Bible quickly enough, and reading it and reflecting on biblical truths also gave me the strength to endure difficulties and maintain a positive attitude!

Your Honor, I want to go back to history again. Nikita Khrushchev, who succeeded Stalin, was a controversial figure. He freed prisoners of Stalinist camps and prisons, rehabilitated millions of victims of Stalinist terror, and did much to democratize the totalitarian regime. At the same time, while remaining a staunch communist and atheist, Khrushchev pursued an active anti-religious policy.

After Stalin's death, many imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses had their sentences reduced from 25 to 10 years. Some were released. The number of Jehovah's Witnesses in the country grew, and the need for Bibles and biblical literature increased. Underground printing houses were organized to supply Bible literature to believers. It was possible to arrange its delivery for the imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses.

In 1946, the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, despite persecution, were regularly attended by 8,633 people. In 1956, when the bulk of the prisoners, victims of Stalinist repression, were released from prison, more than 17 thousand people came to the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The growing number and influence of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization alarmed the authorities.

In 1956, the authorities initiated a new wave of repression against Jehovah's Witnesses. All Jehovah's Witnesses known to the authorities were searched, and about 400 men and 150 women were arrested.

Nikolai Dubovinsky, who headed the Steering Committee of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR in 1955-1956, was sentenced to death in 1957 by the Supreme Court of the Ukrainian SSR as a "member of the Jehovah's Witnesses sect." The death penalty was commuted to 25 years in prison.

However, times have changed. Khrushchev, unlike Stalin, did not practice mass repression. In an attempt to undermine the growing influence of Jehovah's Witnesses, the authorities have focused on strengthening ideological work: hundreds of lecturers have been trained, and many books and pamphlets have been published criticizing the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. These efforts have produced the opposite of expected results. Many people who had never heard of Jehovah's Witnesses before found out about their organization and became interested in it.

However, Nikita Khrushchev believed that in the USSR, no later than 20 years later, a communist society would be built in which there would be no place for religion — everyone would be atheists. In 1961, the CPSU Program was adopted, which proclaimed that a communist society would be built in the USSR no later than 1980, and put forward the fight against religion as one of the important tasks of the Communist Party.

Khrushchev was in a hurry to put an end to "religious prejudices." Since 1959, an offensive against the rights of believers has begun, and atheistic propaganda has been increasing. This campaign reached its peak in 1961-1962. In 1962, Khrushchev made a speech in which he declared that Jehovah's Witnesses would be eradicated from the territory of the USSR. Khrushchev failed to achieve his goals. On October 14, 1964, he was removed from power, and this had a positive impact on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Under Soviet rule, laws were generally enforced in cases where they were beneficial to the authorities, and ignored if the authorities considered them inconvenient for themselves. Thus, in the USSR, legal norms were established that were supposed to protect believers from encroachments on their rights. The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation by a special resolution dated March 18, 1966. "On the application of Article 142 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR" explained that a violation of legislation entailing criminal liability, in particular, means "refusal to hire citizens or to an educational institution, dismissal from work or exclusion from an educational institution, deprivation of citizens of benefits and advantages established by law, as well as other significant restrictions on citizens' rights depending on their attitude to religion."

If we take this literally, then no one had the right to dismiss a believer for belonging to any religious organization, but if the head allowed such a violation of the law, then he should be tried under article 142 of the Criminal Code. But in reality, no one in the USSR has ever been punished for firing believers from work or expelling them from educational institutions.

In practice, Jehovah's Witnesses could not receive higher education, they were not accepted into higher education institutions or were excluded from institutions. Nor could they hold any responsible positions. A remarkable document has been preserved — the work record of one of the believers, who was dismissed on March 29, 1974 from the post of duty officer in the hall for deputies of the Sukhumi station of the Transcaucasian Railway "for participating in the reactionary religious sect of Jehovah's Witnesses."

Sincere people showed interest in the Biblical message, began to study the Bible, were baptized and joined Jehovah's Witnesses. In the mid-70s, Jehovah's Witnesses began to be treated as serious opponents. The commissioners of the Council for Religious Affairs report to the authorities that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is increasing its number and it is necessary to take measures to "neutralize" it.

For example, the commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, V. I. Bronevich, reported on August 5, 1976 to the deputy chairman of the executive committee of the regional Council of Workers' Deputies, M. I. Zharkov: "Currently there are 13 associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory with a total of more than 370 people, which is 76 more than last year" (that is, during the year, the number of believers increased by more than 20%).

In the city of Nazarovo, where the group of Jehovah's Witnesses originated in 1951 and did not exceed 20-28 people until 1968, by 1976 it had grown to 107 believers. In the city of Abakan, a group of Jehovah's Witnesses arose in 1946 and by 1967 numbered 14 people, and in 1976 — more than 100.

Most senior officials in the USSR believed that religion was a relic of the past that would "die out" in the near future. They thought that believers were, as a rule, elderly illiterate people. The composition of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses did not correspond to this idea. The opinion of the leaders of the Krasnoyarsk Territory was also erroneous, that Jehovah's Witnesses in their region are mainly those who were exiled to Siberia from Ukraine and Moldova.

The Commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs had data on the composition of the communities of Jehovah's Witnesses by age, nationality, education, social status in the city of Nazarovo (where the regional center of the organization was located) of the Khakass region and other settlements. V. Bronevich considered it his duty to inform the leadership of the Krasnoyarsk Territory that among Jehovah's Witnesses persons under the age of 40 are Nazarovo is 55%, in the capital of Khakassia, the city of Abakan — 46%. Most of the believers are local residents.

Unfortunately, history repeats itself. I would like to briefly discuss what events led to the modern persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

They can be divided into 4 stages.

Stage 1. The creation of a legislative framework for political repression and the spread of xenophobia in society against Jehovah's Witnesses. Until 08/12/2007, the following wording of paragraph 1 of Article 1 of Federal Law No. 114 dated 07/25/2002 "On Countering Extremist Activities" was in force. Extremist was the activity of public and religious associations, or other organizations, or editorial offices of mass media, or individuals in planning, organizing, preparing and committing actions aimed at inciting racial, national or religious discord, as well as social discord related to VIOLENCE or calls for VIOLENCE. However, then this norm was changed to paragraph 1 of Article 1 of Federal Law No. 114 dated 07/25/2002 "On Countering Extremist activities". Extremist activity (extremism) is the incitement of social, racial, national or religious discord. The sign of "violence" has disappeared. As a result, it became possible to freely interpret the law, in particular, to use it against Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the fact that violence in any form is alien to their religious beliefs. At the same time, the media, usually controlled by the state, launched a false campaign to discredit Jehovah's Witnesses, saying that they "take away apartments", "destroy families", "refuse treatment themselves and do not treat their children", "zombify", "do not obey state authority".

Stage 2. Since 2008, on the basis of the above-mentioned new definition of extremism, well-known officials of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, for the sake of their falsely understood religious beliefs, have organized systematic appeals to the courts to recognize as extremist literature published by Jehovah's Witnesses.

These illegal actions of the Russian Federation have been repeatedly brought to the attention of various international human rights bodies and organizations:

06/20/2012 The European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) in the pp. 36 and 39 Opinions No. 660/2011 on the Federal Law "On Countering Extremist Activities" indicated that "the Venice Commission is of the opinion that in order for "incitement of social, racial, national and religious discord" to be considered "extremist activity", the definition must explicitly mention an element of violence", "this is confirmed by the concerns reports that in recent years extensive research on religious texts has led to the recognition of numerous religious texts as "extremist materials."

On 14.09.2012, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in document No. 13018 in paragraphs 498 and 499 indicated: "Such a vague definition of "extremism" creates the possibility for arbitrary actions on the part of law enforcement agencies," As a result, 68 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the Bible for Children, were included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials published by the Ministry of Justice." In total, more than a dozen judicial acts were issued recognizing at least 95 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses literature as extremist under various far-fetched pretexts. At the same time, a direct violation of Article 3.1 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ dated 07/25/2002 (as amended) belongs to the category of egregious facts in this judicial practice. dated 07/24/2007) "On countering extremist activities" that the Bible, its contents and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials.

Stage 3. From about 2014-2015, as a rule, with the operational support of the Central Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the FSB of Russia, mass shipments of the above-mentioned "extremist" literature to the places of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses began, for which local religious organizations were brought to administrative responsibility for the dissemination of extremist materials, on the basis of which 8 local religious organizations were first liquidated by the courts as carrying out extremist activities in the form of mass distribution of extremist materials, and then by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 04/20/2017. The religious organization "The Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and all 395 local religious organizations were liquidated as carrying out extremist activities in the form of mass dissemination of extremist materials. As of September 2016, at least 60 facts of such drops were recorded, some of which were recorded by external surveillance cameras, and therefore are widely known in the media.

Stage 4. Illegal criminal prosecution under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation under the guise of suppressing the activities of the religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" liquidated for extremism of ordinary believers of Jehovah's Witnesses for the peaceful profession of their religion. Since about 2018, any of the 175,000 fellow citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses can be brought to criminal responsibility in the Russian Federation. As of 10/24/2022, at least 654 Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are being prosecuted under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Some of them were illegally forcibly placed in psychiatric institutions for the duration of the investigation.

1848 searches were conducted in the houses of Jehovah's Witnesses, during which all religious literature and all means of livelihood were seized. Approximately 5,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were forced to leave Russia, mainly families with children, because another novelty of Russian legislation is the provision on deprivation of parental rights for "extremism". All citizens brought to criminal responsibility are included in the list of terrorists, in connection with which their civil rights are significantly violated, namely: their banking services are practically stopped, and funds are blocked, notarization of transactions and their registration are stopped, etc. The actual deprivation of citizenship of the Russian Federation of convicted Jehovah's Witnesses has already begun, followed by their expulsion from the country.

Stage 5. Historical science gives reason to believe that such political repressions can be continued in the form of public physical violence, pogroms. The facts of vandalism against private houses and worship facilities of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been recorded. In Surgut, Voronezh, Chita, there were mass detentions of citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, accompanied by electric shock torture of believers, including directly in the premises of the investigative department. Upon arrival in the colony, five Jehovah's Witnesses sentenced to imprisonment were jointly beaten by colony staff precisely on religious grounds.

History repeats itself, but history puts everything in its place. Jehovah's Witnesses have always been a target. And quite simple. They do not resist arrests, searches, they do not hide.

Your Honor, you extended my preventive measure in the form of arrest several times, but none of my friends who were present at the court session protested, shouting any slogans. You have personally been able to observe us for almost a year, and you probably have a definite opinion about what kind of people Jehovah's Witnesses are. All this time, a friendly, calm atmosphere prevailed in the hall. It's hard to believe that you could in good conscience call Jehovah's Witnesses extremists.

Today, people all over the world are hearing important news from Jehovah's Witnesses. This is the good news that Jesus, as God's appointed King, will soon cleanse the entire earth of evil and injustice. He will establish peace and justice on earth. There will be no death, disease, grief and tears. The Bible describes how events will unfold, and there is also clear guidance on what to do to survive the impending events and receive the promised blessings.

The Bible predicts that most people will take this message coldly. They will be engrossed in everyday worries and will not take her seriously. This has already happened in the history of mankind. Matthew 24:37-39: "But as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they ate, drank, married, and were married, until the day Noah entered the ark, and did not think (did not think) until the flood came and He did not destroy them all, and so will the coming of the Son of Man be."

The main problem of people was that "they didn't think about it." Regardless of the attitude of people towards these events, God considers it fair to warn each person about his intentions regarding the earth. Considering our right to freedom of choice, Jehovah suggests: "I call heaven and earth to witness before you today: I have offered you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Today, every person has a choice between eternal life and eternal death. This is not an idle question. The Bible has a clear guide on how to choose life. First, you need to gain knowledge about God (John 17:3). To convey this information to all people, including those who are very busy, like you, for example, or a respected prosecutor, Jehovah God allows such processes. He is a loving and just God and does not want to deprive people of the right to choose.

The next major event that will affect all inhabitants of the Earth is the ban on the activities of religious denominations throughout the earth. I will not talk about this, since there is a transcript of a speech on this topic in the case file. This event will mark the beginning of a Great Calamity — a short period in the history of mankind, which in its scale of disasters will surpass all the grief experienced by people (Matthew 24:21). The Bible has a guide on how to experience these events. So, I believe that it would be a manifestation of extremism to hide this information from people, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to make their own informed choice.

Like all Jehovah's Witnesses, I am not the initiator of these events. What God intends to do does not depend on our desires and preferences. Just as forecasters only warn about an impending hurricane and cannot influence it in any way, so I can only warn people, and they decide for themselves whether to listen to it or not.

In addition, the sermon is a kind of litmus test that helps determine a person's attitude to the Creator. The Bible says that those who disobey the good news will disappear from the earth. This is not a threat. If you see a sign on the power line "Don't get in — it will kill!", you don't perceive it as a threat, do you? This is a manifestation of caring for you, for your life. Jehovah takes care of you in the same way. Through the prophet Ezekiel, he speaks to every person: "I don't want a sinner to die. I want the sinner to get behind his path and live. Turn around, leave your sinful ways alone, why should you die?" (Ezekiel 33:11).

Your Honor, I am deeply convinced that this trial, like many others in Russia, is historic, because one of the biblical prophecies expressed by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew 10:18, where it is written, is being fulfilled: "You will be brought to the judgment of rulers and kings, for you are My disciples, so that you can testify about me before them." I want to draw your attention to the fact that the prophecy says that it is not for a crime that the followers of Christ will be brought before judges and rulers, but for the name of Jesus, in order to testify to them! I am now not only seeing this prophecy fulfilled, but I am participating in it myself.

What do I feel when I see the prophetic words of Jesus fulfilled, including on me? Firstly, I am proud, because I was among those who testify before judges and prosecutors about Jesus Christ and his heavenly Father Jehovah. Secondly, I feel calm because I am not being judged for evil deeds, but for good ones. I have not committed a crime either before the state or before God. Thirdly, if it were not for this court, I would never have personally felt what our worldwide Christian brotherhood is!

I have read a lot about him in our publications, but to read and personally experience the tremendous power of love and support is expensive today! Letters with words of comfort came from all over the world, from different countries, from those brothers and sisters who had never seen me in their eyes! We don't know each other personally, but our faith in Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ has united us into one big family in which love manifests itself in deeds. I am proud to belong to such a fraternity! I am proud to be a Jehovah's Witness!

Your Honor, it is now in your power to dispose of my life for the near future. I have committed no crime and I am not guilty of anything! Please excuse me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Krasnoyarsk Territory

Locality:

Sosnovoborsk

What is suspected:

"General management of the organization, determining the time of meetings through online broadcasts, pastoral work, leadership of preaching activities"

Criminal case number:

12202040018000019

Case initiated:

March 28, 2022

Current stage of the case:

Appeal

Is investigating:

From the Berezovsky district of the GSU of the IC of Russia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-5/2023 (1-89/2022)

Court of First Instance:

Sosnovoborsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory

Judge of the Court of first instance:

Anastasia Ivanova