The repeated last word of the defendant Valery Slashchev in Tynda

 RUSSIA 

 

The repeated last word of the defendant Valery Slashchev in Tynda

October 13, 2022

Amur region

In his last speech, Valery Slashchev explained why peaceful worship is not a crime, which was confirmed by both the Supreme Court and the President of the Russian Federation. "But law enforcement officers, unfortunately, remained deaf to all statements of the highest authorities," the defendant complained.

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 the charges of Valery Vladimirovich Slashchev and others. of committing a crime under Parts 1 and 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Slashchev Valery Vladimirovich: I was born in 1981. I always thought I was born in Tynda, but they say I was born in Blagoveshchensk. At the age of 16, I found out that I was adopted. When I was 7 years old, my mother died, by that time my father was living with another woman. I was raised by my aunt, my mother's sister, and her husband. After school, I studied at a railway college, and then joined the army.

When I returned from the army, my future wife Tatiana began to tell me about God. At first, I was very annoyed that you can't have intimate relationships before the wedding, you shouldn't celebrate holidays, smoke, and so on. I understood why not later. I twirled at my temple and continued to live my life, but I did not forbid Tatiana — this is everyone's business, and I did not see anything wrong with it. For the next 6 months or so, I drank a lot and often, came home with broken fists, or even with a black eye. He was a terrible nationalist, he couldn't stand non-Russian people. Since childhood, I have been afraid of the dead, but the Bible has freed me from this fear. I practiced magic, I was terribly superstitious. But the Bible has freed me from all prejudices, fears and limitations.

Imagine, for six months I came home in a terrible state, and my wife said: "Are you feeling ill? Maybe some water?" And I wanted to know why she was like that. Another would have kicked her out long ago, but she tolerated it. You know, when I first came to the house where Jehovah's Witnesses gathered, I saw kind, calm, clean people. They didn't look like smiling fanatics, but I remember for sure that I saw people who try to live the way it is written in the Bible. I want to emphasize "they are trying", because, as it turned out, it is not easy to do this.

"Why is my wife like this, why does she tolerate me and not kick me out? She's like that because she goes there," I thought, and I was right.

I always had a lot of questions to God, but there was no time to figure it out. And here all the questions are answered in the Bible.

Dear court, I was baptized in 2004. And so, in 2017, I learned from the case materials that I organized extremist activities and, moreover, undermined the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state with my actions, although I never had such thoughts. On the contrary, the Bible encourages me to obey the authorities not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for God and his principles.

In Russia, Jehovah's Witnesses have been registered since 1991, and all this time they were in plain sight. There is a department in Tynda for work with public organizations, including religious ones. Their employees have repeatedly come to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and we have visited them. One could ask what they found wrong with us. I am sure that over the years of cooperation, the feedback will be only positive.

The documents of the case say: "Realizing that by his actions he undermines the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state, anticipating the onset of dangerous consequences in the form of violations of human rights, freedoms and legitimate interests." I want to hear from the victims, I want to understand how I violated their rights. I've already said that I used to be a terrible nationalist. Today, in this city, I know all people of other nationalities and treat them with understanding and respect. Is it really my extremism that I talk about love and respect? I would like to determine for myself what I am aware of, what I understand and what I don't, what I foresee and what I don't. But they wrote everything for me and decided: I was aware, foresaw, desired and acted out of extremist motives.

Dear court, even without the Internet and a dictionary, I understand what extremism is. But I still couldn't resist and looked on the Internet to clarify this concept for myself. Suddenly I don't understand something right. The website of the Russian Interior Ministry says: "Extremism is a commitment to extreme views and, in particular, measures." I want to assure the court that neither I nor my spiritual brothers have shown such inclinations in the years that I have known them. Moreover, from 2004 to 2017, I did not hear the word "extremism" at all. […]

I once invited my father to a meeting when he was in Tynda. He said it right then: "I don't want to listen to what people are saying, I'll go and see for myself." You know, I have enough relatives, acquaintances, friends, colleagues of different religions and views. From 2004 to the present day, none of them came and said: "Valera, you infringe on my religious interests" or "you got me involved, dragged me in and now everything is bad." There are no such people. My only regret is that they have not gained faith in Christ over the years.

There were situations when we were insulted and threatened, but I did not allow myself to respond in kind or hold a grudge, I did not run to court to talk and shout that my feelings of a believer were hurt.

I was urged not to read the Bible because it has been rewritten many times, but I personally made sure that its practical advice for life works, and the events described in the prophecies are fulfilled. And this convinces me and makes me want to live like this, in accordance with the Bible.

Imagine for a moment that everything that is written in the Bible is true. We don't lose anything by living according to the laws of the Bible. And what do people lose? Do I really have to live my life until I'm 60-80 years old and then wait for death in illness and old age? A mammoth tree can live up to 5,000 years, a juniper tree — more than 1,000 years, a turtle — up to 120 years. Why do women worry about their wrinkles, scientists struggle to preserve youth and eternal life? After all, every person inside always feels young, doesn't he? And why? The answer is simple, and it's in the Bible.: "And God has put eternity in your hearts."

I'll give you another example. My mother loved me all my life, brought me up in the best manners: to love my parents, respect my elders, not to steal, not to take someone else's, not to envy, to be meek, humble, and so on. So how can I believe when they tell me that my mother is bad, that everything she taught and gave me is harmful? How is that? I grew up in this atmosphere, and I seem to be a good person, even with my flaws and cockroaches.

The first time Jehovah's Witnesses came to us was when I was about 16 years old. I asked them to leave the Bible for me and come back in three days. I found two more Bibles and spent three days reading and comparing them. I did not find any differences, although at that time there was a myth that the Witnesses had a different Bible.

As for the Bible, the Koran, the Tanakh and the Ganjur, their contents and quotations cannot be recognized as extremist in accordance with the amendment adopted in November 2015. But for some reason, in our case, both the Bible and quotations from the Bible are prohibited. What is wrong with the Bible? Throughout history, she was persecuted, then the Bibles and translators were burned at the stake, and now the Bible is extremist material. What is it about her and why is there so much attention to her?

On May 29, 2020, the President of the Russian Federation issued a decree approving a strategy to counter extremism for the period up to 2025. I hope they really figure out what's what. In the case file, I am constantly compared with the MRO and a legal entity. Does it turn out that any citizen can be attributed to a legal entity if he goes to church or to meetings? When I come to some religion, do I really ask: "Are you a legal entity or not?" I came to God and to people who want to love God and obey his laws, as well as be obedient citizens.

What are religious buildings for? It seems the answer is simple: to get together. After all, it is written in the Bible: "Let us show attention to one another in order to encourage love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). Why should we get together? In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verse 3, it is written: "In order to gain eternal life, it is necessary to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ sent by you." Today, people study, explore, delve into everything they want. They devote time, money, and even their whole lives to this. But for what?

Someone is satisfied with a life without knowledge, but my choice is different. I wanted to learn about God, his love and give kindness, care and respect to other people.

In June 2013, Article 148 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion" appeared. The investigation replaced my feelings and those of my brothers with the concept of "extremism". During the judicial investigation, it was quite clear what our thoughts and desires were: we strive for peace. Jehovah's Witnesses are willing to spend their personal time helping people research the Bible. Thanks to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses apply the knowledge they have received from the Holy Scriptures in practice, our world has already become a little better.

We did not come up with the idea of preaching to other people, it is written in the Bible — in Matthew 28:18, 19: "Go prepare the disciples." Article 28 of the Russian Constitution was also invented not by us, but by the state, and this article protects freedom of religion. An interesting analogy turns out: The Bible encourages people to go to preach, but the Constitution allows it, protecting the rights of believers and their activities. But in fact, it turns out that religious activity is called the involvement of others in extremist activities, and it turns out that the main extremist is Jesus Christ.

There is a small museum in the courthouse, where there is information about cases and sentences. Thanks to him, I became convinced that indeed, as the Bible says, "people are inventive for evil." But when we, Jehovah's Witnesses, are asked what we are being judged for, I don't even want to say, because people can't understand in any way how a person can be judged simply for his faith, despite the fact that there are no victims or victims — some kind of invisible and intangible extremism…

How is a believer defined? According to external signs: he has sacred books, such as the Bible or the Koran, he uses some attributes in his worship, such as icons, religious symbols, a cross. But what should indicate that I am a believer and I also have religious feelings? Unfortunately, the investigation was not interested in finding out what I really do and what kind of person I am. During the search, they were only interested in whether I had something at home that would have the name of God written on it — Jehovah.

No, don't think about it, I'm glad that there is a law on extremism, because some people really go too far in their attitude to people and to God, and I believe that such an article protects our citizens from dangerous people. A person, his rights and freedoms are the highest value. Recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms is the duty of the state, as stated in Article 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

We have become so sensitive: we cannot say anything, we are easily offended and offended by a word. We can say that we have become tender to our feelings, but at the same time, we do not care about the feelings of other people at all. You know, I'm not offended by my feelings. Remember how it was before: we went to each other for salt and a piece of bread, were friends at home, gathered together with neighbors at the same table. And now, living in the same stairwell, people do not know each other, they are once again afraid to help someone, the principles of "my shirt is closer to the body" and "my hut is on the edge, I don't know anything" have become closer to them. People became angrier, became isolated, and found a simple excuse for their actions — "time is like that", "people are like that", "what to do, everyone lives like that". And here the Bible gives the answer, Matthew 24:12: "Because of the growth of iniquity, love will grow cold in many." Because of the lack of humanity and love, it is difficult for people to think about others, to live by the golden rule from Matthew 7:12: "Do to people as you want them to do to you." My brothers and I do not want the growth of lawlessness, and therefore we read the Bible and act according to it. And, of course, I would like others to live by the golden rule too, but this is a personal matter for everyone. Yes, I read the Bible, yes, I attended the divine service, yes, I talked to people about the Bible with their consent, and, according to the investigation, all this constitutes a crime. But when I read the Constitution, article 28, which guarantees all these possibilities, I come to the logical conclusion that I am not violating anything… How is that?

I read religious literature that talked about how to achieve family happiness or cope with depression — these materials were declared extremist; I came to religious meetings in buildings where they discussed the biblical principles: "do not kill", "do not steal" — these buildings were selected because there was this such "extremist activity". The Supreme Court has clearly declared that believers and individuals will not be affected by the ban of a legal entity. President Vladimir Putin said he did not understand why peaceful believers were being persecuted. The Plenum of the Supreme Court clarified that believers should not be persecuted for their religious activities. The ECHR has repeatedly stated that the initiation of criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith, expressed in joint worship of God and preaching, is unacceptable. But law enforcement officers, unfortunately, remained deaf to all statements of the highest authorities. Arrests continue, peaceful law-abiding people are sent to jail. I think this is because it is not at all that something really extremist was found in our publications, violating the rights and freedoms of other people, or that our teachings actually turned out to be destructive both for the believer himself and for his environment. No, that's not the point at all, because we, the servants of God, have as much extremism as there is air in space. It became clear that we were being persecuted for loving Jesus Christ and following his commands by researching the Bible.

However, we are glad that, at least because of this situation, you have reviewed the materials of our case in such detail, learned more about our faith and heard the words recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

Summary of the case

Region:

Amur region

Locality:

Tynda

What is suspected:

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