The last word of the defendant Sergei Korolchuk in Ussuriysk

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Sergei Korolchuk in Ussuriysk

November 29, 2022

Primorsky Krai

From the courtroom

In his speech, the believer spoke about the biblical laws of morality, stressing that they have nothing to do with extremism: "Those who love God will not harm people, no matter what race, nationality, social status and religion they may be."

Transcript of the court session in the Ussuriysky District Court of Primorsky Krai dated 11/29/2022 in the case 1-9/2022 (1-57/2021; 1-659/2020) on the charges of Korolchuk Sergey Stanislavovich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Korolchuk Sergey Stanislavovich:

I want to start my last word with gratitude. First of all, of course, to our Creator, the God Jehovah, for his support. All three years, while the investigation and court sessions were going on, I felt calm, because I knew that I was suffering for my faith in him, and not for a crime, for a case in which there were neither victims nor victims.

I am grateful to my family, my beloved wife and children, whom I am very proud of, for their love and support. To my dear co—religionists, for their encouragement and prayers, for small gifts from their big hearts before each court session. I cannot but express special gratitude to the judge of the city court Trofimov Konstantin Borisovich and the judge of the regional court Valkova Elena Alexandrovna for allowing me to be with my family all this time, and not in jail. Thank you, Your Honor. You patiently listened to the arguments of the parties, tried to get to the bottom of the matter and come to a fair decision. This is not surprising, because you stand guard over the rule of law and order is maintained thanks to this, and law-abiding citizens can feel protected.

It's good that there are laws. Where they do not exist or are not respected, chaos and anarchy reign there. And this is not good for anyone. I understood that there are many laws in the state. But as I was preparing the last word, I was amazed at how much. There are laws on subsoil, media, copyright, free legal aid, veterans, state registrations, benefits, licensing, fire safety and police, prosecutor's office and bailiffs, entrepreneurship, advertising and communications, standardization, insurance, customs, pensions, education, weapons and crime prevention, various kinds of payments, attitude to animals, environmental protection.

There are codes: Arbitration, Procedural, Budgetary, Water, Air, Land, Forestry, Urban Planning, Civil, Housing, Labor, Tax, Family, Customs, Penal Enforcement, and Criminal Procedural and Criminal are already so close to us.

Various kinds of resolutions and orders can be added to this. And that's not all. But none of them would have been adopted if they contradicted the basic Law. Which one? The basic law of the country is the Constitution of the Russian Federation. We can say that this is the essence of all legislation, the basis, the core. Personally, I am especially grateful for article 28 of the Constitution, which protects one of the basic human rights — the right to worship God.

Jehovah's Witnesses recognize, respect, use these laws and always observe them. [...]

The main purpose of the laws is to ensure a peaceful and peaceful life of human society. But where did the laws come from? How and why did they appear? No thinking person would claim that they all appeared by accident. It is clear that the law cannot appear without a reason and a legislator. Each of them is backed by the enormous work of many respected specialists, professionals in their field.

A simple example: look at how many signs there are on the roads of our city, as well as markings, signs, signs and traffic lights. And this is not someone's whim. They say about the rules of the road that they are "written in blood." If only everyone would observe them… I know this firsthand, as I was hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing and was on sick leave for 4 months. And it took a lot of work to determine where and what kind of sign is needed on the roads.

However, our well-being is not determined solely by rules drawn up by people. Our very existence depends on more important laws that do not depend on us. And we obey them unconditionally.

One of the laws that affect us every second is the law of gravity, or attraction. It would be superfluous to explain how good he is. We literally wouldn't have taken a step without him. Everything, from simple atoms to an immensely complex universe, is subject to this exact law. It is not wise to think that this law could have arisen on its own. Albert Einstein once remarked: "In the infinite universe, the activity of an infinitely perfect Mind is revealed."

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the simple truth written in the Bible: "Every house has a builder, and the one who built everything is God" (Hebrews 3:4). Already in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 2:14, it says: "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to separate the day from the night, and for signs, and times, and days, and years." Thanks to the great power and wisdom of the Creator, all the planets of the solar system are placed, held and move in their orbits. And if there was a force in the universe capable of moving them from their orbits, they would still return to their places and continue to move in their orbits. For example, the Earth moves at a constant speed of 107,000 km/h and rotates around its axis in 24 hours, and around the sun in 1 year. We have no doubt that morning will come, winter will follow autumn, and in 5 days the weekend will come.

Psalm 104:19, 20 says: "He created the moon so that the times could be determined by it. The sun knows exactly when to set. You bring darkness, and the night comes." Newspapers and weather apps predict the exact time of sunrise and sunset of the Sun and Moon. If these forecasts were made or created by someone, then who created the astronomical laws on which these forecasts are based?

I am glad that they are reliable and accurate. On this occasion, one famous scientist said: "We recognize that the laws of God's world make it even more amazing and beautiful, that the greatness and wonderful accuracy of the functioning of the Universe is the result of the action of natural laws that God uses as an instrument." And I believe that they are all established by the great Creator and lawgiver, Jehovah God.

Certain laws also apply within each of us. According to the order established by God, each of those present here was conceived in due time and was born in due time. Psalm 136:14 says, "I praise you because I am wonderfully made. Your deeds are wonderful, and my soul is fully aware of it. My bones were not hidden when I was created in secret, I was formed in the depths of the womb. Your eyes have seen my fetus; all the days appointed for me are written in Your book, when none of them has yet happened."

System administrators create complex programs and this requires experienced specialists with an analytical mind, a lot of time and money. Information about the stages of fetal development has already been compiled, embedded in DNA and donated to people. Everything in the womb happens on schedule and without outside interference. The creator established the order according to which fertilization takes place, the origin of cells and their division, the beginning of the formation of various tissues, organs and systems. Everything is so complicated that experts are amazed. By the deadline, after 9 months, a "miracle" child appears. According to the information from the DNA, it develops and reaches maturity. […]

Jehovah's Witnesses value the family structure and they have strong marriages. We rejoice at the birth of children, love them and try to raise them as worthy members of society. We agree with the words written in the Bible: "This is the inheritance from the Lord: children; His reward is the fruit of the womb" (Psalm 126:3).

We are happy to obey the laws of our body, for example, to eat, drink and sleep. Understanding this awakens a sense of gratitude to God in many people.

Sometimes we don't know what the laws say on a particular issue. But we have an amazing gift from God — conscience. She can tell you what to do. The Bible says that conscience is a law written in our hearts that helps us determine whether we are behaving correctly or not. In Romans 2, verses 14 and 15, it is written: "For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what is lawful, then ... they are their own law: they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and thoughts they are now accusing, then justifying one another." Every person is endowed with a conscience from birth. One person called conscience an internal judge who constantly judges us. Is it good? Yes. Unfortunately, not many people listen to her voice today. And if no one sees a person, he can act very badly.

However, Jehovah's Witnesses learn to act according to their conscience at all times, even when no one is around. We remember that God is always watching over us. The case file contains a speech in which it was said: "It has long been known that a person behaves quite differently when he knows that he is being watched… And even unconsciously changes his behavior and, perhaps, makes a completely different choice in contrast to what he would prefer when he is completely alone. And so the question before us is: are we determined to do good even when no one sees us, and resist harmful desires and unclean habits?"

Jehovah also outlined the norms of good and evil clearly, in printed instructions. He encouraged about forty people to write them down in a book known as the Bible. Today it has been translated into 3,000 languages and can be read by almost 100% of the world's population in an understandable language. It says in itself: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. May the man of God be perfect, prepared for every good deed." This book prepares a person "for every good deed," not for crimes. The Bible is a set of laws from God, the heavenly Father, who loves us. It is what Jehovah's Witnesses study all over the world, including in Ussuriysk, and, as the case materials confirm, they learn good deeds, not extremism. And I'm being judged for it.

Of course, over time, laws drawn up by people become outdated and they are revised by adopting amendments. But many are surprised to find that the laws and principles written in the Bible more than 2,000 years ago are not outdated today, because their author is God, who created man and understands human nature.

As we have already mentioned, the basic law is the Constitution of the State. It's like a foundation. Such a kind of Constitution in the spiritual understanding for a believer today is the law of Christ, which absorbed all the laws that ever existed and replaced the well-known Mosaic law.

It is simple and based on two commandments. They are written in Matthew 22:37-40: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind": This is the first and greatest commandment; the second is similar to it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are based on these two commandments." […]

Christians today obey these commandments of Christ. It is this law of Christ that Jehovah's Witnesses, as Christians, learn to observe. It is not always easy to follow high moral principles, so the service was called "Do not give up, observing the law of Christ."

If people had kept these two commandments, there would have been no murders, no one would have stolen, insulted, humiliated or deceived another, committed adultery, cursed, extorted or kidnapped. On the contrary, people would give in to each other, forgive, sympathize and thank each other, because the law of Christ is based on genuine love, which Jesus taught.

Both the Constitution and the Criminal Code reflect the essence of this law. For example, a person's conscience tells them that stealing is bad. The same is confirmed by the law of the country and even provides for punishment. But unlike secular laws, the Bible not only calls it a sin, but also teaches not to commit it. Therefore, Jehovah's Witnesses do not take what does not belong to them. All over the world, millions of people have overcome criminal tendencies and become law-abiding citizens thanks to the Bible.

Some say, "Laws exist to be broken." But Jehovah's Witnesses don't think so. The Bible, Galatians 6:7, says: "What a man sows, he will reap." Those who violate physical laws (the law of gravity) or traffic rules reap bitter fruits. Similarly, violation of the law of morality always leads to negative consequences. For example, violating the commandment "thou shalt not commit adultery" leads to remorse, shame, ruined families, unhappy children, mental and other illnesses, revenge, imprisonment, premature death. The cost of breaking the laws is very high.

Definitely, people need to learn to love each other, and not just pretend. But how? Note that loving your neighbor is the second commandment. And the first and main commandment, which Jesus spoke about, is "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." In order to comply with the second, it is necessary to comply with the first.

And when you love someone, you don't need a long list of what you can and can't do. Those who fell in love with God would not harm people, no matter what race, nationality, social status or religion they were, and for observing this commandment, Jehovah's Witnesses were ready to suffer suffering and even death. For this reason, they have never participated in wars, terrorist attacks, rallies, strikes or other acts of disobedience. And even today, despite the criminal prosecution, we consistently prove our peacefulness and that Jehovah's Witnesses and extremism are not compatible. And the whole world knows about it. We worship God the way it is written in the Bible, and this includes prayers, chants, and Bible discussions. And no one can stop it.

Believers of all Christian religions do the same. The Criminal Code does not provide for punishment for all this. On the contrary, the Constitution of the Russian Federation — the basic law of the country — protects this right in Article 28. The law did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Government of the Russian Federation says that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not evaluate the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, moreover, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of 28.10.2021 confirmed my right to practice my religion together with others. Then why am I being persecuted? Why does the law enforcement system put the president and the Russian Federation in an unsightly position in the eyes of Russian citizens and the whole world?

It is impossible, living in a society and violating its laws, to remain unpunished. It is impossible, living on earth, where everything is subject to the laws of the Creator, to mock him and persecute those who love him. At the beginning of the earlier verse from Galatians 6:7, it says: "Don't be fooled: God is not someone to mock. What a man sows, he will reap."

Today, God, as a legislator, asks people: "How long will you evade the observance of My commandments and my laws?" And already as a judge, he will soon say: "But whoever does not listen to My words, which the Prophet will speak in My name, I will demand from him (I will call him to account)" (Deuteronomy 18:19).

It is good when our deeds correspond to what is written in the Bible and our conscience. Your Honor, my conscience is clear today both before God and before the law of the state. Therefore, I ask you to fully justify me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Primorsky Krai

Locality:

Ussuriysk

What is suspected of:

According to the investigation, "he carried out actions to organize the recruitment of new members aimed at continuing the illegal activities of the banned religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of the religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and its structural divisions)

The number of the criminal case:

11902050012000027

Case initiated:

June 18, 2019

The current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

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

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1)

The number of the case in court:

1-9/2022 (1-57/2021; 1-659/2020)

Court:

Ussuriysky District Court of Primorsky Krai

Judge:

Dmitry Babushkin