The last word of the defendant Sergei Lyulin in Yalta

 CRIMEA 

The last word of the defendant Sergei Lyulin in Yalta

February 27, 2023

Crimea

In his last word, the believer stressed that his criminal prosecution was groundless: "In the USSR, when Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted, they were offered what they are offering us now — to renounce their faith. This proves once again that we are not being judged for extremism, but for our faith in Jehovah God."

Transcript of the court session in the Yalta City Court dated 02/27/2023 in the case 1-17/2023 (1-181/2022) on the charges of Lyulin Sergey Alexandrovich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Lyulin Sergey Alexandrovich:

I would like to start my last word with a rhetorical question: has anyone in this Room ever faced injustice?

Throughout life, a person is faced with injustice. It can be in kindergarten, at school and later in adulthood. How do we react when faced with injustice? Everyone has the same reaction — it's outrage, indignation, we are not ready to tolerate and put up with it.

Why does everyone have the same reaction to injustice? The Bible says that we were created with the ability to imitate our God in the manifestation of his qualities, and one of the main qualities of our Creator Jehovah is justice. Therefore, a sense of justice has been embedded in us since birth.

Interestingly, when a person is treated unfairly, he is usually not ready to tolerate, but at the same time he can do unfairly to others without much difficulty. You must agree that in recent decades there has been a lot of injustice, anger and hatred. And my family faced this directly. It doesn't surprise me. Do you know why?

Your Honor, I was born in Yalta, and here, studying the Bible since childhood, I realized that only it answers this question very simply and clearly: "Yes, all followers of Christ Jesus who want to faithfully serve God will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).

Note: who will be persecuted? Someone who faithfully serves God. People who live according to the norms of God and for whom violation of these norms is unthinkable. I can say with a clear conscience that Jehovah's Witnesses are those who not only read the Bible, but also try to apply its principles in their lives. And this will be confirmed by many people who are well acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses.

I think that you have noticed that these people are distinguished by peacefulness, kindness, that they respect the authorities, do not break laws, pay taxes, do not take revenge on others, act according to the principle known as the "golden rule" of human relations. It is written about him in the Gospel of Matthew, the 7th chapter, the 12th verse: "In everything, do to people the way you want them to do to you."

And this pleases my heart, and I am proud that I remain devoted to God during this period of time. If I wasn't a Jehovah's Witness, I wouldn't be standing in front of you. In the Soviet Union, when Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted, they were offered what we are being offered now — to renounce their faith, and then there will be no problems. This proves once again that we are not being judged for extremism, but for our faith in Jehovah God.

We read above that all followers of Jesus Christ will be persecuted. Even the most religious person usually knows who Jesus Christ is. And what do we know about this man? By what he said about the Kingdom of God. The prayer, popularly known as "Our Father," is known by millions. In this prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for this Kingdom. Jesus is also known for feeding thousands of people, helping them, healing and even resurrecting the dead.

Has anyone ever heard of Jesus Christ undermining the foundations of the state, encouraging strikes, or something illegal? Of course not—it wasn't even close! But despite this, he is being brought to trial. For what? The answer is simple — for believing in your Father, God Jehovah. Our court is very similar to that one. Why? The answer is found in the previously mentioned biblical book of Matthew, chapter 26, verse 59: "The senior priests and the entire Sanhedrin were looking for those who would give false testimony against Jesus in order to sentence him to death."

Your Honor, there is no video or audio material in our case, nor any other appropriate and acceptable evidence that we are accused of. Why? Because it all didn't happen. But, as in the case of Jesus, today there are also those who are ready to give false testimony. History repeats itself — nothing has changed.

To date, at least 1,885 searches have been conducted at Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of the Russian Federation. At least 681 people have been prosecuted for believing in God. Your Honor, you have the power to influence a decision that will affect my life and the lives of my co-religionists.

Another reason why I am not surprised by the injustice I have encountered is described in the Bible, in John's First Letter, in chapter 5, verse 19: "The whole world lies in the power of the Devil." Satan, or the Devil, is a spiritual person, an opponent of God. And this personality influences the minds of people, especially those in power. History proves it: No matter how hard people try to radically change their lives for the better, nothing works out for them. They used different forms of government, different approaches, and what was the result? Maybe you've noticed that there are many good people who want to help others and restore justice. But do they do it? There is even a saying: "If you want to get to know a person, give him power." Yes, people are trying, but they are not able to significantly change something for the better.

In the Bible, in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, it is described as follows: "I know, Jehovah, that the way of man is not in his power. The one who walks cannot direct his steps." This indicates that we were not created with the ability to control our own kind. Man was not created to control another human being in the same way that he was not created to live underwater or in outer space.

For example, who likes it when others tell him how to live and what moral standards to adhere to? Do people like it when they are told what to believe in, who to respect? This is often controversial. As hard as it was to admit, the Bible turned out to be right. We have neither the ability nor the moral right to control other people. Then who can help us? The most logical thing would be to turn to our Creator for help. After all, he created us. And, contrary to the opinion of many, he did not forget us.

The proof of this is the Bible, in which our Creator laid out the principles of life. The better we understand this unique book, the better we understand ourselves. It helps us to see why there are so many tragedies and injustices in human history.

Millions of people have already seen this. They found answers to such questions: what is the meaning of life? what does family happiness depend on? how to deal with worries? how to get closer to God? why can we hope that life will be better in the future? Why do people get sick, age, and die? What happens after death?

In the end, I would like to express my gratitude to my beloved wife, who was a support for me despite the fact that she was not allowed into the gym and she could not be with me. But nevertheless, she was always, in any weather, near the courthouse. When I was in jail and under house arrest, she not only performed the duties of a wife, but also worked for me, and did it with diligence. And throughout the whole process, my wife maintained a positive attitude, showed love, which helped me not to lose heart. She's a real helper. And I am glad that it was knowledge from the Bible that helped me achieve such a relationship with my beautiful wife, who is a priceless pearl for me.

I am grateful to my friends and everyone who came to the courthouse and provided assistance. Most of the trial fell during the winter, but despite this, every time we left the courthouse, we were surrounded by love, care and attention. It is a great joy and honor to have such loving friends.

Thank you to our lawyers for being sympathetic to us and trying to fight for us. I would like to thank Sultania Farikovna separately. You did not just take the case that the court assigned to you, but tried to delve into our process, to figure out what we were being tried for. You have been preparing for court sessions and have never lost your human qualities. You are a very kind, sensitive and justice-loving person. Throughout the whole process, it was easy to cooperate with you and maintain a good relationship.

Thank you, Your Honor, for giving me the opportunity, when I was under house arrest, to go out into the fresh air to maintain my health, and then softened the measure of restraint, which allowed me to be near my family. Violetta, I would like to mention your work as a secretary. You are not just a professional in your field, you are a decent person, and this is worth a lot.

Your Honor, please attach my last word to the case file.

Summary of the case

Region:

Crimea

Locality:

Yalta

Criminal case number:

121023500130000044

Case initiated:

March 4, 2021

The current stage of the case:

Proceedings in the court of first instance

Investigating:

The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Crimea

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.3 (1), 282.2 (1)

Case number in court:

1-17/2023 (1-181/2022)

Court:

Yalta City Court

Judge:

Vladimir Romanenko