The repeated last word of the defendant Sergei Yuferov in Tynda

 RUSSIA 

The repeated last word of the defendant Sergei Yuferov in Tynda

October 26, 2022

Amur region

From the courtroom

In his address to the court, the believer explained that the Bible encourages Jehovah's Witnesses to be law-abiding citizens. "Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable to me," he stressed.

Transcript of the court session in the Tyndinsky district Court of the Amur region dated 10/13/2022 in the case 1-9/2022 on charges of Yuferov Sergey Vitalievich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

Yuferov Sergey Vitalievich: First of all, I would like to thank all those who, together with me, directly or indirectly participated in this lengthy process. Thanks to the court for the fact that all this time I had the opportunity to go to work every day, spend the night at home and continue to take care of my minor children.

I am grateful to the bailiffs for the human and civil trust shown to me, expressed in the fact that the contents of my briefcase were never checked when I entered the courtroom as a defendant. I am grateful to the lawyers and other lawyers for their hard work in this difficult situation, even for them. I am grateful to all the staff of the prosecutor's office for reading out the materials of the criminal case, clearly and unambiguously voicing the basis of the biblical principles of morality and biblical teachings, as well as correctly pronouncing the name of Jehovah God. I am grateful to the FSB operational investigation team for the fact that there was no disorder or damage to property in our apartment on the day of the search.

I am grateful to my friends for their personal presence in the courthouse throughout the trial, they provided me and others with powerful moral and spiritual support, as well as for the encouraging postcards that I received from other cities and countries, for fervent prayers. It is not for nothing that they say that real friends are known in trouble. I am grateful to my dear wife and children for the fact that they were willing to suffer with me in my persecution.

Getting to the very essence of the last word, I would like to briefly tell the story of my acquaintance with the Word of God, the Bible, and its basic teachings. It was in 1992, 30 years ago, in the city of Tashkent. I was 17 years old at the time. It was a time when the shops were empty. People, including from our city, sold everything they had at home at a flea market just to make ends meet. Walking through the market, I saw a Bible lying on the counter next to pans, orders and medals and begged my father to buy it for me. I've heard about this book, but I dreamed of having my own. It was an invaluable gift for me. I started reading every day, but I didn't understand a lot of things.

Even before that, I was interested in the answers to the questions: Who is God? Is there life after death? What is the condition of the deceased? what awaits our earth in the future? Where will paradise be? What is hell? What is resurrection? At about the same time, my mother was offered a magazine by Jehovah's Witnesses on the subway that had a Bible-based explanation of these basic teachings. I read it immediately, and my interest in the Bible increased even more. At the end of this magazine, it was mentioned about the release of the book "You can live forever in paradise on earth" in 87 languages of the peoples of the world. I really wanted to get it. I told my physical education teacher at the college about this book — I heard out of the corner of my ear that he was some kind of believer. He mentioned that he had such a book and agreed to give it to me for a couple of weeks. I started taking notes on it in detail, but I didn't have time to finish it by the deadline, and the teacher, seeing my sincere interest, gave me the book. This guide to the Bible helped me to consider it thematically. I realized that this is the irrefutable truth. I was looking for answers to vital questions and found them in the Bible. They don't talk about it in academies, universities, or on TV.

Biblical moral principles began to influence my life: I got rid of nicotine addiction, stopped smoking herbal drugs, communicating with dubious friends, using obscene language. Life has found meaning. Thus, by pleasing the living God and experiencing genuine joy in serving him, I received a reasonable hope for an eternal future. My peers, observing the changes in my life, began to wonder "why I hit God so hard." He began to share with them what he had learned, answered their questions with the help of the Bible. Some of them, influenced by the Word of God, the Bible, also changed their lives and became a Jehovah's Witness, but most of them led a pernicious, criminal lifestyle before getting acquainted with the Bible.

The Bible message affects me in the same way it affected Jesus Christ and his apostles. Jesus showed the sign of a believer in the Gospel of Luke 6:45, 46: "Out of abundance in the heart, the mouth speaks." If a person does not feel his faith and it does not encourage him to do anything, then such faith does not make sense and one can say that it is dead. Some people claim that faith is in their soul, but it's like if a student at an exam handed a blank piece of paper to the commission and declared that knowledge was in his head. However, faith, nurtured on the Word of God, encourages us to share these treasures with others.

One of the writers of the Bible, the Apostle Paul, in the past an ardent and convinced persecutor of the followers of Christ, realized the importance of spreading accurate knowledge about the Bible. In the First letter to Corinthians 9:16, he wrote: "If I preach the gospel, then I have nothing to boast about, because this is my necessary duty, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." Understanding and knowing the truth imposes on every Christian the responsibility to share it with others. […]

Today, in any state there is a law enforcement system whose task is to investigate and punish criminal acts. And the message from the Bible changes people and leads them away from the criminal path, turning them into law-abiding citizens. What motivates such people? A sense of personal responsibility to the Creator, who sees everything. In the Bible, in the Proverbs of Solomon, chapter 15, text 3, it says: "The eyes of God see everything, they watch the evil and the good." The most powerful and noble deterrent against bad deeds and crimes is reverence for God. Wherever you run away from God, he is still above you.

There are two thick and frequently read, relevant books in our country with many chapters and sections. This is the Criminal Code and the Bible. In the Bible, in the First Letter of the Apostle Peter, the 2nd chapter, the 20th and 21st texts, it is written that if I were tried for one of the crimes, then I would have nothing to boast about, and there would be something to be punished for. Quote: "If you suffer when you are punished for crimes, what is special about it? But if you suffer, suffering for good deeds, then you please God, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example."

The Word of God, the Bible, in all translations and editions of any years, encourages us to be law-abiding citizens. In a letter to the Roman assembly, the Apostle Paul pointed out what attitude the followers of Christ should have towards state authorities and laws. Romans 13:1, 2 says: "Every person is subject to the authorities of the state, because every authority occupies the place assigned to them by God, and therefore everyone who opposes authority and laws rebels against the order allowed by God and will bring punishment upon himself." It is clear from the Bible that the very concept of extremism is alien to a follower of Christ. Therefore, my spiritual activity cannot be extremism. Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable to me.

In 33 AD, the most famous but unfair trial in the history of mankind took place in the city of Jerusalem. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, appeared before the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate as a defendant. Religious leaders unfairly accused him of extremism: "This man calls the people to revolt, forbids paying taxes to Caesar, says that he is the Christ, the king" (Luke 23:2). All these charges were fabricated. Who could call Jesus Christ an extremist and a criminal today? How did that trial end? Christ was sentenced to death. Was that decision fair? Did Jesus have the opportunity to avoid such a fate? Yes, it was. But he knew the purpose of his coming to earth. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, text 28, he said: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." The sin of people with all its consequences is, in fact, the problem of people themselves. But Jesus, out of love for God and people, voluntarily died for us, accepting a violent death on a pillar of torment.

The resurrected Jesus warned his followers: "Remember what I told you: a slave is no bigger than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours. But people will do this to you because of my name, because they don't know who sent me." He also said, "You will be taken to the courts for testimony in my name." And today we are witnessing the situation that Christ spoke about.

The risen Christ gave His followers a task: "I have been given all power in heaven and earth. Therefore, go and prepare disciples in all nations, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And I will be with you every day until this world comes to its end" (Matthew 28:18-20). Was Jesus the organizer of extremist activity? A positive answer to this question would be considered blasphemy and complete absurdity.

Having received a task from my lord Jesus Christ, out of love for God and for people, I fully try to fulfill it. Preaching activities are carried out not only in Russia, but also in 235 other countries and island territories. After all, Jesus said that under his leadership this would happen all over our planet, since he was given all power in heaven and earth. And this is undeniable. If Jesus never taught extremism, is it possible to call the activities under his leadership extremist?

On the obelisk opposite the building of the UN headquarters, which includes Russia and other 192 states, there is a slogan taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah: "They will turn swords into plows and spears into sickles." This is a welcome achievement for this international organization. But Jehovah's Witnesses, as an international brotherhood united in the worship of God, have long been able to implement this slogan in their lives and are peace-loving people. Is this extremism?

At this trial, I am being judged for my devotion to God and obedience to Christ, as well as for the support provided to my spiritual brothers and sisters. And I, in turn, am part of a peaceful, international brotherhood. Our large international family consists of people belonging to different nationalities, speaking different languages, and having no prejudices. The book of Acts of the Apostles says that our Creator did not create nations and borders, he created people and the earth so that it would become a common home: "From one man He produced the entire human race to live on the whole face of the earth" (Acts 17:26). The plan of our God Jehovah is for all people all over the face of the earth to live as one family, worshiping him in unity as the Creator and Life Giver.

Your Honor! You have been presented with sufficient evidence in favor of the fact that our activities around the world are exclusively peaceful and aimed at the benefit of specific people and the entire human society. And most importantly, to glorify our Creator, Jehovah God. I ask you to take into account all of the above and pass an acquittal.

Summary of the case

Region:

Amur region

Locality:

Tynda

What is suspected of:

According to the investigation, "they organized meetings of followers religious organizations"

Criminal case number:

11907100001000076

Case initiated:

November 11, 2019

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Amur Region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.2 (1.1)

The number of the case in court:

1-45/2023 (1-9/2022; 1-131/2021)

The Court of First Instance:

Tyndinsky District Court of the Amur region

Judge of the Court of First instance:

Valentina Brikova