The last word of the defendant Valery Krieger in Birobidzhan

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Valery Krieger in Birobidzhan

December 16, 2022

Jewish JSC

From the courtroom

The believer told the court how faith in Jehovah God changed him as a person, how he became an honest and respected person, and "the prosecution demands that [he] stop being a Jehovah's Witness."

Transcript of the court session in the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAO dated 12/16/2022 in the case № 1-8/2022 (1-65/2021; 1-609/2020) according to the accusation of Valery Sergeevich Krieger and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2, Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Krieger Valery Sergeevich:

I live by the principle of "Give Caesar's to Caesar, and God's to God." Since I was baptized on July 30, 1994, I have been following the words from the Bible recorded by the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:1-3: "Valera, obey the highest authorities, because any authority is from God. The existing authorities occupy the places assigned to them by God. Therefore, anyone who opposes authority is rebelling against the order established by God, and such a person will incur condemnation. Rulers should be feared not by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Do you want not to be afraid of the rulers? Do good, and you will receive praise from them."

How did I obey? I registered as an individual entrepreneur in 2000 and paid taxes honestly. I also stopped cooking and using cannabis. And it was my initiation and baptism as a Jehovah's Witness that gave me the strength and determination to do so.

From 1990 to 1994, I was regularly treated in the department or day hospital of a psychiatric hospital. However, having become a follower of the Jehovah's Witnesses' creed, I still have not received treatment there. By becoming a qualified massage therapist, I was making my contribution to the prosperity of our city. My clients were FSB employees, and in 2003, the head of this service himself. And the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, including the deputy chief, two chairmen of the court — one of them had his whole family. Many lawyers have used my services, police, military, teachers, doctors and nurses, workers, etc. The help they received helped them to do their job efficiently. Many people knew that I was a Jehovah's Witness, and I even had conversations with some about the meaning of life, the future of our planet, and what is necessary for happiness in the family. Someone adhered to Judaism, someone was an atheist, Muslim, Orthodox or belonged to another Christian denomination, but my faith and my beliefs did not deter them from receiving my services. On the contrary, my honesty, my moral principles attracted them and aroused their trust.

But what does the public prosecutor demand today? So that I would stop being a Jehovah's Witness. Yes, Your Honor, that's it. And although the prosecution claims that I participated in the organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses NGO in the city of Birobidzhan, but in fact it all came down to the fact that I read the Bible, prayed and sang religious songs with my co-religionists. However, the Supreme Court and the Constitution do not prohibit me from my religion. But it is precisely these actions that are a manifestation of my faith. This was the faith of the first Jew, Abraham.

I live in the Jewish Autonomous Region. This area's name has its roots in the biblical account of Abraham. In Genesis, the 12th chapter, it is written: "Jehovah said to Abram, Leave your land, your relatives, and your father's house and go to the land that I will show you. I will make a great nation come out of you, I will bless you and make your name great, and you will become a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and through you all the peoples of the earth will be blessed." Abraham showed the greatest faith in Jehovah and went where God had indicated to him. And in the 14th chapter, in verse 13, he is first mentioned as "the Jew Abram." A whole people descended from Abraham, who became known as the Jews. It is noteworthy, therefore, that our region, in which I was born and grew up, is associated with Abraham by its name.

God told Abraham to leave a prosperous, well-maintained city and settle in the desert and live in tents. Jehovah promised that it was through him—and later God explained that through his descendant — that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. According to the Bible, this descendant, who was born along the line of Abraham, became Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote that through Christ, Abraham's blessing spread to other nations. I believe this, and it is the exact opposite of extremism, which promotes the superiority of one nation over another.

What are these blessings? Hanging on the pillar of torment, Jesus answered the repentant criminal: "You will be with me in paradise." What kind of paradise was Jesus talking about? The perpetrator was a Jew, so he knew from the Scriptures that the paradise that Jesus was talking about was a beautiful garden that Adam and Eve had lost. They disobeyed Jehovah God, deciding to set for themselves what is good and what is evil. Thus rejecting the guidance of God, turning away from God, Adam and Eve became sinful and imperfect, so they could only pass on imperfection and their original sin to their descendants, that is, to us. Because of their sin, we all inherited sin, which entails illness and death.

By giving his life on the pillar of torment, Jesus helped people to be free from sin and death. Therefore, it is important to believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John 3:16 conveys the idea that everyone who shows faith in Jesus Christ in practice will not be deprived of life forever, but will gain eternal life. And also, thanks to the death of Jesus, Jehovah will be able to restore paradise conditions here on earth.

When Jesus preached, he showed what he could do in the near future. He healed the sick, raised the dead, could feed thousands of people to their full with several tortillas and fish, as well as control the elements of nature. While in heaven, Jesus will be able to take care of every inhabitant of the earth. And then neither famine, nor natural disasters, nor disease and death will overshadow the lives of people living on earth. Then people will "turn their swords into plows and spears into sickles. The nations will not go at each other with the sword, and they will no longer ... fight" (Micah 4:3). "God will stop wars all over the earth" (Psalm 46:9). There will be peaceful conditions all over the earth. Thanks to what? Isaiah wrote in the 11th chapter, the 9th verse: "No one will harm others on my holy mountain, because the knowledge of Jehovah will fill the earth." It is this hope of a future paradise that motivates me to obey God and his son Jesus.

At that time, people will be loving people, loving the spiritual, humble, meek, praising God, obedient to parents, grateful, faithful, having strong family feelings, accommodating, speaking well of others, having self-control, gentle, compliant, humble, loving God more than pleasure, truly devoted to God.

It is these qualities that I am already trying to develop in myself and do the same with others. This is the opposite of someone who develops and displays extremism. Of course, today I can be labeled an extremist. But for me, what is more important is how the Creator of the Earth thinks about me. The Apostle Peter wrote down these words: "Dear brothers, do not be surprised that you are facing trials (in particular, that I am accused of being who I am not) — there is nothing strange about this. On the contrary, rejoice that you share the sufferings of Christ. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are happy, because it means that you have the spirit of glory, the spirit of God. If someone suffers as a Christian, let them not be ashamed, but let them continue to glorify God by living as a Christian."

Jesus taught his disciples that even when you are persecuted, you must show love to your persecutors. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). His students realized this and wrote about it too. For example, the apostle Peter wrote: "Do not repay evil for evil and do not respond with insult to insult, on the contrary, repay with good, and then God will bless you" (1 Peter 3:9).

Therefore, whatever decision the court makes, I want to continue to follow the words from chapter 4, verse 19: "Let those who suffer for doing the will of God entrust themselves to the Creator, who is faithful, and continue to do good."

I am determined to continue to do good, to show such a quality as impartiality to all people regardless of their nationality, social status and religious affiliation. Conversely, avoid verbal and physical violence. Extremism is alien to me, so I want to continue to do as Jesus Christ taught. Many people call this the "golden rule": "In all things do to men as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12).

Summary of the case

Region:

Jewish Autonomous Region

Locality:

Birobidzhan

What is suspected of:

According to investigators, he conducted divine services together with others, which is interpreted as "organizing the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)

Criminal case number:

11807990001000008

Case initiated:

May 14, 2018

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)

The number of the case in court:

№ 1-8/2022 (1-65/2021; 1-609/2020)

Court:

Birobidzhan District Court of the EAO

Judge:

Yana Vladimirova