The last word of the defendant Svetlana Efremova in Lesozavodsk

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Svetlana Efremova in Lesozavodsk

January 26, 2023

Primorsky Krai

From the courtroom

In her speech, the defendant drew the court's attention to the fact that she had freely professed her faith for almost 30 years. "The law has remained unchanged, and I have not done worse over the years either. Then the question arises: why am I being persecuted?" she commented.

Transcript of the court session in the Lesozavodsky district Court of Primorsky Krai dated 01/26/2023 in the case 1-5/2023 (1-35/2022; 1-316/2021) on the charges of Efremova Svetlana Evgenievna and others. of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Efremova Svetlana Evgenievna:

Your Honor, first of all, I want to say a word of gratitude to all participants in the process. The reason for my criminal prosecution is that I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. If I had practiced another religion, I would not be judged now. Therefore, at the court session, we devoted a lot of time to talking about who Jehovah's Witnesses are and how they are treated in society. We have heard both good reviews and the exact opposite.

The trial was conducted in an orderly and decent manner. All this, I believe, is due to you, Your Honor, your experience and organizational skills. I am grateful for your positive attitude towards us, the defendants, who do not have a legal education. I would like to note the fruitful work of State Prosecutor Elena Anatolyevna, because her conclusion accurately reflects the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses — she noted that Jehovah's Witnesses study a lot, and this is the pure truth. I am grateful to the court secretaries for her difficult work. Many thanks to my defender, Anna Alexandrovna. She helped me from the very beginning, and I sincerely wish her success in her difficult task.

I am especially grateful to all my friends. They came to support before the meeting. It was after long days of self-isolation, personal communication caused rejoicing in the heart. Positive emotions helped us to endure everything with fortitude. I am very grateful for the prayers of friends who could not come in person, for their letters. We knew that they were close at heart, it gave us peace and tranquility.

I am accused of allegedly being involved in the continuation of the activities of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, liquidated by a court decision. To understand the fallacy of this accusation, it is important to understand the difference between religious people and legal entities.

Your Honor, Jehovah's Witnesses have existed in Russia since the end of the 19th century, and they have not always had legal registration. So, from 1913 to 1917, the representative office of the "Watchtower Society" (this is the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses) was registered on the territory of the Russian Empire. The rest of the time, Jehovah's Witnesses operated without official registration, uniting several thousand believers. For example, in 1946 there were about 4,000 of them, in 1950 there were already 8000. And this in itself proves that in order to get together with friends to discuss the Bible, there is absolutely no need to be associated with legal entities.

In addition, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have been wrongly persecuted in the past. Thus, Jehovah's Witnesses were the target of severe political repression during the dark era of purges, starting in 1948 and until the fall of communism in 1991. For example, Note No. 877-A/S of the Chairman of the KGB of the USSR Yu. V. Andropov to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU L. I. Brezhnev "Report on the work of the State Security Committee for 1980" dated 03/31/1981 confirms these circumstances and contains the following: "Extremist sects of Jehovah's Witnesses have been eliminated. 6 illegal printing houses, 19 printing outlets, more than 30 transshipment bases, warehouses, bookbinding and typesetting shops created by churchmen and sectarians were opened and liquidated" ("The government and dissidents: from documents of the KGB and the Central Committee of the CPSU." — Moscow: Moscow Helsinki Group, 2006 — pp. 233, 237).

A few years later, the Law of the RSFSR "On Rehabilitation of victims of Political Repression" dated 18.10.1991 No. 1761-1 and the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On measures for the rehabilitation of clergy and believers who became victims of unjustified repression" dated 03/14/1996 No. 378 confirmed that during the Soviet years Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to criminal prosecution unlawfully and were rehabilitated as victims of political repression. Thus, labeling Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists during the Soviet era has already been condemned, and believers have been rehabilitated.

On March 10, 1991, 10 individuals established the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, registered by the Ministry of Justice of the RSFSR on 03/27/1991, which, after re-registration, operated under the name "Religious Organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia". Having examined the Charter of this legal entity, the state, upon re-registration, confirmed that its provisions fully comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation. This means that the implementation of the same types of activities as in the Charter cannot be considered illegal and considered extremist activity.

Your Honor, I am a Jehovah's Witness. I ended up in the dock because I do not want to renounce my God, and not because of a crime and violation of state laws. There is another important reason — for the words of Jesus Christ to be fulfilled: "Because of me, you will be led to rulers and kings to testify before them."

In her speech, the State Prosecutor suggested to you, Your Honor, to find me guilty of extremism, a very serious crime, and to impose an appropriate punishment on me. But during the judicial investigation, we did not hear any evidence that my actions or words could be called a crime against the law or a person.

Tell me, please, which article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation says that being a Jehovah's Witness is a crime? Let me remind you, Your Honor, that the Supreme Court has not banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Moreover, Jehovah's Witnesses are known all over the world as law-abiding and peaceful citizens. Their rights as believers are respected in the vast majority of countries around the world. Jehovah's Witnesses strive to show love to everyone, even to enemies, as Jesus Christ taught us. There are many people from different nationalities among us, because our God Jehovah is an impartial God, but in every nation, those who fear him and act righteously are pleasing to him. It is unusual for us to take part in any kind of conflict, even when we ourselves have to face intense pressure. When it comes to participation in military conflicts, Jehovah's Witnesses firmly adhere to their position of Christian neutrality — not to take up arms. And I'm proud to be a Jehovah's Witness. And I want to briefly explain the reason for this.

Once upon a time, the supreme authority of the God Jehovah was questioned by the first people on earth. Many people know that Adam and Eve violated God's commandment and ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But not everyone knows what the tree of knowledge of good and evil meant. What God said about this tree had a very important meaning: it symbolized the Creator's right to determine what is good and what is evil. And he reserved this right only for himself.

By creating the first people, the Creator endowed them with a wonderful gift — freedom of will, freedom to make decisions. However, the freedom given to people was not absolute, it was limited by the law of God. It is written: "I know, O Lord, that it is not in the will of man his way, that it is not in the power of him who goes to give direction to his footsteps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Unfortunately, God's moral law was violated: by eating the fruit from the tree, our forefathers put themselves above God, thereby showing that they themselves want to judge what is good and what is evil. The sad consequences of this choice are visible everywhere today: human history has been filled with suffering and death from the very beginning. The Word of God, the Bible, points to the source of the lies that caused Adam, Eve and all their descendants to suffer. Jesus Christ told his opponents: "Your father is the devil, and you want to fulfill your father's lusts. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him."

An important question was raised: will people be able to live happily without God's guidance? Time (and it has been about 6,000 years) and the complete failure of human government without God have convincingly proved that people urgently need to be ruled by God Jehovah, their Creator. Another thing is, do people want this? Is there anyone among people who will wholeheartedly recognize the just sovereignty of Jehovah, unlike Adam? Time has shown that at all times there have been faithful servants of Jehovah: These are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Job, and Abraham. And God called them his witnesses.: "But my witnesses," says the Lord, "are you and My servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that it is I: there was no God before Me and there will be no God after Me. I, I am the Lord, and there is no Savior but Me. I have foretold and saved and proclaimed; but you have no other, and you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God. I have formed this people for myself; they will proclaim my glory" (Isaiah 43:10-12, 21). In accordance with these words, in 1931, a religious Bible study group calling itself the Bible Researchers adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses.

What are Jehovah's Witnesses doing today? What do the facts say? As in the first century, when Jesus Christ lived on earth, so today Jehovah's Witnesses speak about the heavenly Kingdom of God, which Jesus taught to pray for it to come. And to this day, all Christians pray: "May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This prayer shows the plan of our Almighty God in relation to the Earth: to return people to the wonderful conditions of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived, where there is no disease, no war, no crime and all that people suffer so much today. And this wonderful promise of God is sure to be fulfilled. Jehovah's Witnesses want to bring this important and saving message to everyone, as our Lord Jesus commanded: "And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole universe as a witness to all nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). Jehovah's Witnesses spare no time and effort for this, because they love God and people. Your Honor, in your opinion, can a person with extremist motives do this?

Some perceive such a desire to help negatively, attribute bad motives, slander Witnesses, and persecute them, including in criminal proceedings. Despite this, we do not get angry, we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to carry out the task that Jesus Christ entrusted (the sermon has been going on in Lesozavodsk for 30 years). In the 2nd letter to Timothy 4:5 it is written: "But be vigilant in everything, endure sorrows, do the work of the evangelist, fulfill your ministry." The advice given by the Apostle Paul in a letter to Roman Christians helps us a lot: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

There is such a Jehovah's Witness standing in front of you today. I study the Bible and try to live in harmony with what I learn, and also, if possible, tell others about the boundless wisdom of Jehovah God, about his love for us sinful people, about his wonderful plans for all mankind. For this, I was put on the federal list of extremists, without yet being found guilty of a crime. How do you think I feel about all this? Or does my feelings have nothing to do with it and no one is interested in what a person thinks who is unfairly accused of something he did not commit? But what about the rights that are guaranteed to me at birth in this country, why are they violated? Some say it's a lyric. It is very difficult for me to cope with my offended feelings, but it helps me to know that this is inevitable. Jesus warned: "If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you."… If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:18-21).

What is happening around us today does not correspond at all to what our Creator wants to see. Even people who do not believe in God notice that life is becoming more difficult, and first of all, morality is rapidly falling. Jehovah's Witnesses do not shut themselves off from people, on the contrary, they want to convey to everyone the moral principles of the Bible, giving people the opportunity to develop a relationship with God and have hope for a wonderful future. In his last prayer together, Jesus says: "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). As can be seen from these words, knowledge about God and his Son Jesus Christ is exactly the knowledge on which true life depends. I have this knowledge, I have a reliable guarantee for the best living conditions in paradise on earth. For this, my faithful friends and I are ready to endure unfair treatment of ourselves, as it was with Jesus.

Your Honor, the biblical teachings contain exactly what human society so desperately needs today — the instructions that make up the best system of moral values. Please tell me, is it bad when a person, accepting the teachings of the Bible and following them, becomes better? There are many cases when people who received a life sentence turned from fierce and violent into peaceful people living according to the law of Christ after studying the Bible.

I wish always and in everything, including in my thoughts, to do as God expects of me, even if it is not easy. In the famous sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ urged his followers: "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who offend you and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Heavenly Father, for He commands His sun to rise above the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Jehovah's Witnesses are a unique gathering of millions of people for whom there are no national, social, or racial barriers, because they are guided by God's principles, which are based on love. Most agree that the state will only benefit if all its citizens think and act in this way. Then there will be less work in the courts, or maybe not at all. But, despite this, for some reason I am being prosecuted.

Another important biblical principle is: "Let every soul be submissive to higher authorities; for there is no authority not from God, but the existing authorities are established by God… Do you want not to be afraid of power? Do good and you will receive praise from her, for the ruler is God's servant, for good to you" (Romans 13:1-4). Therefore, obeying the state authority, I obey God. I worked, my children went to school, my marriage was registered in a government institution. I do not participate in protests, I take care of the property of the house in which I live, and I keep peace with my neighbors. Your Honor, which of the above can somehow undermine the foundations of state security?

Today, law enforcement officials are doing a tremendous job of maintaining law and order, thanks to them for our calmness. Moreover, they expect that citizens, for their part, will also follow legal norms and rules. But it is not easy to teach a person to do the right thing, especially an adult with his formed views. It can be noted that educational measures in the society in which we live do not work well, and crime is on the rise. However, our God, Jehovah, does a great job of re-education. His name means "he gives to become." This meaning of Jehovah's name is consistent with his role as the Executor of his plan. Moreover, it means that his servants will become executors of the will of the Almighty.

In Europe, Russia and around the world, Jehovah's Witnesses strive to be guided by the "golden rule" of Jesus Christ: "In all things, as you want people to do to you, so do you to them" (Matthew 7:12). Jehovah's Witnesses do no harm to anyone, and expect to be treated kindly as well. We are grateful to the state for art. 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which says: "Everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or jointly with others any religion or not to profess any, freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them." As a citizen of the Russian Federation, I have enjoyed this right for almost 30 years. The article has remained unchanged to the present, and I have not done worse over the years either. Then the question arises: why am I being persecuted?

During the years of Soviet rule in the USSR, Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to physical and ideological persecution for political reasons. Then they were rehabilitated along with other believers. Today, some people and organizations are trying to denigrate Jehovah's Witnesses and restrict their legitimate activities, often spreading exaggerated, unreliable and even openly defamatory information. I want to provide the opinion of unbiased and competent specialists.

Religious scholar Nikolai Semenovich Gordienko is a Doctor of Philosophy, professor, author of about 300 scientific papers. In the book "Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity," he writes: "Jehovah's Witnesses are loyal citizens of Russia, who are organically characterized by law—abiding, obedience to authorities, high morality, a healthy lifestyle, which meets the fundamental interests of the individual and society. They cultivate a benevolent attitude not only to co-religionists, but also to other fellow citizens... Thus, Jehovah's Witnesses are a normal religious organization and should be treated with the same tolerance, in the spirit of constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience, as well as to other faiths and denominations that legally exist in Russia and operate within the framework of the Constitution of the Russian Federation."

Professor Gordienko notes: "The views preached by members of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses exclude any immoral, illegal and even more violent actions against any social groups. Rather, these views can lead to a desire to be tolerant of other people, regardless of social, racial, national or religious affiliation."

Religious scholar Sergey I. Ivanenko, Doctor of Philosophy, author of several publications on Jehovah's Witnesses, pointed out in his book "About People who Never Part with the Bible": "The media rarely report neutral and objective information about Jehovah's Witnesses. As a rule, they are either sharply and unfairly criticized, or they are enthusiastically written about. But these raptures are often caused by the fact that journalists expected to meet something terrible, however, when confronted with Jehovah's Witnesses, they found out that these are normal people. Living according to biblical principles, they are reliable workers, good neighbors, caring parents… Whether or not to listen to their sermon is a matter of conscience and free choice for each person."

In the book "Jehovah's Witnesses — a traditional religious organization for Russia," Sergei Ivanenko writes: "Jehovah's Witnesses are our fellow citizens who have the right to believe the way they believe and preach the values they consider true. As life shows, the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding, striving to live in accordance with the moral norms set forth in the Bible. They reject violence, pay taxes in good faith, value peace in the family, society, and the state, and recognize the right of other people to have their own beliefs. I am sure that this is quite enough to avoid considering Jehovah's Witnesses as "second—class" citizens, and their religious organization as a harmful "sect". Communicating with believers and studying the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, I have learned from my own experience that there is no threat from them."

Psychiatrist Viktor Yefimovich Kagan, MD, Professor, psychiatrist of the highest category, in an article about Jehovah's Witnesses says: "Among the examined [Jehovah's Witnesses], calm, emotionally restrained, prudent in contacts, prone to introspection, planning and considering their actions in advance, loving order, serious about decision-making prevail solutions, highly appreciating moral standards [people]... [The study] allows us to reject the assumption of the destructive influence of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses on the structure of its members [...] The positive influence of staying in the organization on intrapersonal attitudes characterizing socially significant areas of personal relationships and the psychological balance of personality has been revealed."

The conclusion of the Expert Council under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 04/15/1999 concludes: "There is no reason to assert that the restrictions and prohibitions provided for by the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses pose a threat to the mental health and morality of the participants and followers of this organization."

Despite these truthful conclusions, the prosecution, Your Honor, wrongly incriminates me with something that in fact is not and cannot be a crime. In my testimony, I gave very accessible and detailed strong arguments. Regardless of what Jehovah's Witnesses are called, we are not extremists, but peaceful people, followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus, while living on earth, did good to people, and I try to imitate him. As the son of God, Christ told people about his Father, Jehovah God, revealed the name of God to those who followed him. I try to do the same. Jesus praised his Father, and I've been doing it all my life.

Today I am being judged, in fact, for the same thing that Jesus Christ was judged for. That trial is described in the Bible. It was described in detail in their Gospels by four witnesses, so this process is well known today, although it was in 33 AD.

What accusations have been made against Jesus Christ? For example, they said about Jesus: "We found that He corrupts our people and forbids giving taxes to Caesar, calling himself Christ the King" (Luke 23:2). Jesus' response to such accusations was: "Give Caesar what is Caesar's, and God's to God" (Luke 20:25). In other words, he was accused of sedition and undermining state power. This reminds me of one of the formulations of my accusation that I allegedly "by my actions undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state." And what do the facts show? The prosecution did not provide a single fact! With regard to Christ, everything pointed to the fact that he had no goal to become king in the state where he lived, and there was no goal to undermine national interests. In fact, Jesus said: pay taxes to the king and do not shy away from it, but give religious worship to God. Which God? To the Heavenly Father Jehovah.

Another charge brought against Jesus was blasphemy. The Gospel of John 19:7 records the words of the accusers: "We have a law, and according to our law He [Jesus] must die because he made himself the Son of God." Jesus was actually the Son of God, so He called God Father. This is what the opponents saw as a crime.

The Bible calls Jesus "a faithful and true witness" (Revelation 3:14). He revealed the name of God and came into the world to speak the truth about his Father, Jehovah God. Therefore, he can be called the greatest Jehovah's Witness! Yes, Jesus testified to the unsurpassed love of Jehovah God for humanity: "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In these difficult days, Jehovah's Witnesses around the world remind people of this. What are they guided by? In a letter to Christians from Ephesus, Paul wrote: "Imitate God, because you are his beloved children." My like—minded friends and I around the world are trying to imitate our God Jehovah in love.

How did the trial of Jesus Christ end? After listening to all the accusations and studying the case of Jesus Christ, the procurator Pontius Pilate came to the conclusion: "I find no fault in him" (John 18:38). For a judge in the first century, it was obvious that they wanted to convict Jesus illegally, but despite this, Jesus Christ was sentenced to death. After analyzing their actions, one law professor called the trial of Jesus Christ "the most monstrous crime in the history of jurisprudence."

I also want to draw attention, Your Honor, to a very important thought. The fact that I am in court and defending myself against false attacks from detractors testifies to the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy expressed by Jesus Christ: "They will deliver you to the courts and lead you to rulers and kings for me, to testify before them" (Matthew 10:17, 18).

Your Honor, world events clearly show that the fiery day of Jehovah is rapidly approaching. Then the criminals and those who do evil will be eliminated from all over the earth: "A little more, and the wicked will not be; you look at his place, and he is gone. But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy the abundance of the world" (Psalms 36:9-11). But while there is still time, God calls to the hearts of people: "Come to your senses, kings; learn, judges of the earth! Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Honor the Son, so that He will not be angry, and so that you will not perish on your way, for His anger will soon be kindled. Blessed [i.e., happy] are all who put their trust in Him" (Psalm 2:10-12, SP).

Although sometimes everyday problems can overwhelm us, it is still vital to listen to the words of Jesus Christ: "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 got married until the day Noah entered the ark, and they didn't think until the Flood came and destroyed them all." Unfortunately, people did not obey Noah and of all the inhabitants of the Earth at that time, only 8 people were saved — Noah's family and the families of his three sons. Thus, a precedent was set. What awaits humanity in the near future, Jesus Christ described in words: "Then there will be great tribulation, which has not been since the beginning of the world, and will not be" (Matthew 24:21).

I really want everyone who is here now to be saved in a great disaster. God wants this, but he has given each of us the freedom to choose and make decisions. And what God has prepared for those who obey Him is wonderful: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; there will be no more crying, no more crying, no more sickness, for the former has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

What I am saying now is not a mystery of God, otherwise God would not be called a God of love. On the contrary, everything that God reveals to us from the pages of the Bible refers to God's happy message, open and understandable, which is preached in more than 1,000 languages in 240 countries and territories by more than 8,500,000 Jehovah's Witnesses.

I've made my choice. I am for Jehovah God and for Jesus! And for this you do not need to be a member of the MRO, that is, a member of a legal entity, or continue its activities. I just love God and people and will never do anything criminal against God, people and the state. My conscience is clear, and I know that God approves of me, because I see his blessings every day.

I know for sure that God is on my side and in due time he will restore justice. The Parables say: "The heart of the king in the hand of Jehovah is like streams of water. He directs it wherever He wants." I hope, Your Honor, that you will also restore justice and acquit me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Primorsky Krai

Locality:

Lesozavodsk

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, "E. A. Grinenko assisted in organizing meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesozavodsk, acted as a coordinator"

Criminal case number:

12002050013000022

Case initiated:

May 12, 2020

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigates:

SO in the city of Lesozavodsk of the SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Primorsky Territory

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-35/2022 (1-316/2021)

Court of First Instance:

Lesozavodsky District Court of Primorsky Krai

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Sergey Yarovenko