The last word of the defendant Sergei Ashikhmin in Izhevsk

 RUSSIA 


The last word of the defendant Sergei Ashikhmin in Izhevsk

April 22, 2024

Udmurtia


The believer explained to the court why he tells others about his beliefs: "Faith in God gives real meaning to my life. I am sure that no one can be truly happy without knowing about God, his deeds and his intention for a wonderful future."


Transcript of the court session in Pervomaisky district Court of Izhevsk dated 04/22/2024 in the case 1-7/2024 (1-18/2023; 1-233/2022) on the charges of Ashikhmin Sergey Alexandrovich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.


Ashikhmin Sergey Alexandrovich:


Dear Court, During the investigation of this criminal case and its consideration in court, many times I caught myself thinking that I was reading the history of the first Christians.


During the Roman Empire, along with the establishment of Roman law and the existence of various privileges in relation to certain segments of society, the rights of innocent people — followers of Jesus Christ - were sharply violated. They were mercilessly killed in arenas, given to wild animals for the amusement of the crowd, or simply burned for night lighting. And all because they did not worship the emperors as deities, because they believed and considered only Almighty God worthy of reverence and worship (Revelation 4:11). At the same time, they did not participate in immoral entertainment and did not attend gladiatorial fights, where they cruelly mocked people and animals and dealt with them. They did not take up arms and did not hold political positions. Their completely peaceful, quiet and respectable lifestyle aroused hostility and discontent from the malicious public. But by their behavior and their lives, they proved that living according to the commandments of Christ is not an empty word for them.


In April 1951, the infamous secret operation "North" was carried out: about 10,000 people — men, women, the elderly and infants — were loaded into freight wagons and taken out of the western regions of the USSR to the north in inhuman conditions without the right to return. They were deprived of their homes, property, and some even their lives for believing in God, which did not fit into the framework of Soviet ideology. Later, in Russia, in 1996, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, all Jehovah's Witnesses deported to Siberia during the Soviet era were recognized as victims of political repression and rehabilitated.


Not much time has passed, and now I have become part of an unfair modern history. I am being prosecuted for believing in God, in his promises, living in harmony with them and telling others about it. And for this you need a living, warm heart filled with love for Jehovah, Jesus Christ and your neighbors, regardless of their nationality, religion or social status.


Imagine how the world would change if people already applied just one of the principles from the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ: "Therefore, in all things, as you want people to do to you, so do you to them" (Matthew 7:12).


I try to live in accordance with the example of Jesus Christ: "Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all the days to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19, 20).


Faith in God gives real meaning to my life. I am sure that no one can be truly happy without knowing about God, his deeds and his intention for a wonderful future. A future where neither I nor any of the people will experience pain, suffering or painfully die from an incurable disease. Therefore, there have never been any extremist motives in my actions, because love and extremism are incompatible!


Your Honor, the rest of my life story depends on you, and I really want the decision to be fair and just. Finishing my last word, I want to say that I do not plead guilty to the charge, I ask you to acquit me and attach the last word to the case file.


Summary of the case


Region:

Udmurtia

Locality:

Izhevsk

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, the believers coordinated and coordinated actions to organize preaching activities and spread the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses in Izhevsk

Criminal case number:

12102940001001701

Case initiated:

April 13, 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:

1-7/2024 (1-18/2023; 1-233/2022)

Court of first instance:

Pervomaisky District Court of Izhevsk

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Marina Khokhryakova

Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog

In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search

 RUSSIA  In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search July 2, 2024 Karelia On June 21, 2024, the judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court, Natalya Zalevskaya, sent Sergey Fedorov, 50, to the pre-trial detention center. The day before, the believer was searched. Back in March 2024, law enforcement officers first came to the Fedorov spouses in the city of Tolyatti, where they then lived, with an inspection order. The apartment of the believers was invaded by 9 people without identifying themselves. The spouses were taken to different rooms, Fedorov was handcuffed and hit on the head. Then 8 people dispersed around the apartment, one stayed with Sergei, holding him on the floor on his knees with his hands clasped behind his back, raised high. The Fedorovs were not informed of their rights, nor were they allowed to make a phone call to their relatives. During the 4-hour "inspection", the law enforcement officers, according to believers, planted several ...
Leer más

The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony

 RUSSIA  The Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses—Eight Years in a Penal Colony May 21, 2024 Samara Region On May 16, 2024, by the decision of the judicial board of the Samara Regional Court, the sentence to Aleksandr Chagan, 53, entered into force. He became the sixth in the list of Jehovah's Witnesses who were sent to a penal colony for such a long time by Russian courts. "In my case, Christian values and Christian qualities were estimated at 8 years in a penal colony," the believer commented on this occasion. In his last speech, Chagan told the court of appeal that he has been living according to biblical standards for more than 20 years, and this has changed his life only for the better: "There is no reason to accuse someone who learns to show love for people and respect for their opinions, their life position of inciting hatred and enmity." The believer intends to appeal the verdict and the decision of the appellate i...
Leer más

Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention

 KAZAKHSTAN Conscientious objector's 6 months in military detention 24 May 2024 In autumn 2022, Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal presented the Conscription Office a certificate from the Jehovah's Witness Centre that he is a "religious minister". This should have exempted him from conscription. He was summoned on 17 May 2023, and forcibly transferred to a military unit. He was freed only in November 2023 when Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled his conscription illegal. The Military Court rejected the military's appeal in April 2024. Smal's conscientious objection "may lead to mass negative consequences and wide public resonance", the military claimed. Jehovah's Witness Daniil Smal spent from 17 May 2023 in detention in a military unit until Almaty Military Garrison Court ruled on 9 November 2023 that the call-up decision in his case should be revoked and he should be freed. On 16 April 2024, the Military Court rejected the Conscription Office...
Leer más