The last word of the defendant Anatoly Isakov in Kurgan

 RUSSIA 

 

The last word of the defendant Anatoly Isakov in Kurgan

August 7, 2024

Kurgan region

Explaining his position to the court, the believer said: "If your decision is accusatory, then you have assessed faith and beliefs. I do not intend to hide from the authorities, but I cannot give up my beliefs, which are not prohibited by law or conscience."

Transcript of the court session in the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan region dated 08/07/2024 in the case 1-44/2024 (1-1069/2023) on the accusation of Anatoly Yuryevich Isakov of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Isakov Anatoly Yurievich:

Your Honor! I am happy that I can answer all the accusations against me today. I'm not guilty of anything. I have committed no crime against the law of the state, against the law of God, or against people.

I thank the prosecution for their tact and respectful tone. I am grateful to investigator Nikolai Leonidovich Astapov for a thorough investigation of my case, as well as for taking into account my physical condition. I also wanted to thank the employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service for their professionalism and respect for me.

I thank my dear wife Tatiana for being by my side all this time — from the moment of my detention, and while the investigation and trial were underway. She supported me spiritually and physically, helped me fight my serious illness. She is my closest person, because we have been married for more than 35 years!

I am also grateful to my lawyers for their legal assistance, understanding of my situation and attentiveness. I am very grateful to everyone who supported me during the investigation, who made a lot of efforts, who sacrificed a lot to become an encouragement not only for me, but also for those around me. Thank you all, my dear friends! Thank you for your love, for your loyalty, for your support!

And of course, I am very grateful to the Creator and Life-Giver, Jehovah God, for never leaving me, giving me strength and surrounding me with faithful and loving people. My disease, blood cancer, speaks volumes. This is not about treatment, but about prolonging the patient's life. It is only thanks to the help of my God Jehovah that I am alive to this day and stand before you, Your Honor, dear prosecutor, dear investigator and dear present.

I am accused of being a believer and serving Jehovah God. Jehovah, the Creator of the universe, has everything very organized. The Bible says: "God is not a God of disorder, but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). Everything he has created suggests that he is a God of order. The Bible says: "The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, and established the heavens with reason" (Proverbs 3:19). We know "the parts of His ways; and how little we have heard of Him" (Job 26:14). We don't know much about planets, stars, and galaxies, but it's obvious that they all obey certain laws (Psalm 8:4, 5). Galaxies are made up of millions of stars that move in a very organized way. In our Solar System, the planets revolve around the Sun strictly in their orbits, as if observing the rules of the road.

The smallest of his creations also speak about the wisdom and greatness of the Creator. For example, an ordinary yeast cell impresses with the complexity of its device. There are about as many components in it as there are parts in a Boeing 777 aircraft. All of them are in their places and fit into a sphere with a diameter of only five microns. But unlike an airliner, a yeast cell can multiply. This is truly a miracle! The amazing order that reigns in the universe convinces us that Jehovah, who created "heaven wisely," is worthy for us to praise him and faithfully serve him.

[…]

Therefore, it is logical to conclude that Jehovah's earthly servants should also be well organized. In ancient times, God made the descendants of Patriarch Abraham his chosen people and gave them a set of laws. He called this people Israel and charged them with protecting true worship and keeping his Word, the Holy Scriptures. The ancient Israelites were a very organized people. For example, when the Mosaic Law was in effect, some women were assigned to serve "at the entrance of the tabernacle of the congregation." The relocation of the Israeli camp and the holy tent also took place in an organized manner. Later, King David organized the Levites and priests well, dividing them into groups. Experienced musicians and students were assigned to perform music and sing, and the Levites were assigned to serve as gatekeepers, be in charge of treasuries, and perform other tasks. When the people obeyed Jehovah, they lived in peace and unity.

The people of Israel have been an assembly of God for 1545 years. But he violated the laws of God and did not accept his Son. That is why in the first century Jehovah rejected this faithless people. However, this did not mean that God would no longer have an organization. Jehovah blessed the new organization that Jesus Christ founded and which was built on his teachings. It appeared on Pentecost 33 A.D., and thanks to the zealous ministry of the apostles and other Christians, Christian congregations were formed in many parts of Asia and Europe. They were far from each other, but they were not separate and independent groups. On the contrary, the meetings were well organized and obeyed the loving guidance of the apostles, which they received, among other things, through letters written under the inspiration of God. For example, the Apostle Paul sent his collaborator Titus to Crete to "put in order what was left unfinished" (Titus 1:5). But thanks to whom was order possible in the assembly? As Paul said, "God measured," or, according to another translation, "organized," the assembly (1 Corinthians 12:24).

And what about our days? It is clear from the biblical narrative that God has always had an organization that he used to fulfill his purpose. Therefore, is it not reasonable to conclude that Jehovah God still guides his servants as he did in the past? Moved by love, God has united them into an organization that he uses to fulfill his purpose in our day.

According to the Bible, "Christ is the head of the Church [congregation]" (Ephesians 5:23). From heaven, Jesus Christ directs the activities of Jehovah's people around the world. Jesus appointed a "faithful and prudent servant"—a small group of experienced elders (also called the Governing Council) (Matthew 24:45-47). In the first century, the activity of Christians was directed by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. Today, the Governing Council gives instructions to all Christian congregations. Thanks to this, true Christians carry out the will of God in an organized manner.

Jesus commanded his followers to preach the good news of the Kingdom to all nations. This task cannot be completed without an international organization. For example, it is not difficult to feed one person, but if you need to feed thousands or even millions of people, then you cannot do without a well-organized group of employees whose actions are coordinated. Christians fulfill their assigned task by serving God "with one accord," or, as they say in Modern translation, "together" (Zephaniah 3:9).

In order for Christians to fulfill Jesus' commission, they help and support each other. It is in the Christian congregation that everyone can receive the necessary biblical instruction, training and encouragement that give strength to continue serving God.

True Christians serve God in unity. By listening to the voice of Jesus, that is, obeying his guidance, his "sheep" become "one flock" (John 10:16). They are not scattered among individual churches or denominations, and they are not divided by religious beliefs. They all act "in the same spirit and in the same thoughts" (1 Corinthians 1:10). In order to maintain unity, order is necessary, and order is only possible in an organization. Only a close-knit brotherhood can count on God's blessing.

All over the world, Jehovah's Witnesses, as a united and organized people, strive to follow God's will. God's promise is fulfilled on them: "I will walk in them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people" (2 Corinthians 6:16).

Jehovah gives perfect laws on which the laws of men are based. For example, the 10 commandments of the Mosaic Law: "Thou shalt not kill," "thou shalt not steal," "thou shalt not bear false witness," "thou shalt not covet another's," etc. (The Book of Exodus, chapter 20).

The law also protected private rights. For example, by law it was forbidden to enter the debtor's house to take anything as collateral. The lender had to wait outside until the debtor took out the collateral. This is how the law protected private property. If someone took outerwear from the debtor as collateral, he should return it before dark so that the person would not freeze at night without clothes.

The law also protected private rights. For example, by law it was forbidden to enter the debtor's house to take anything as collateral. The lender had to wait outside until the debtor took out the collateral. This is how the law protected private property. If someone took outerwear from the debtor as collateral, he should return it before dark so that the person would not freeze at night without clothes.

The law also protected the rights of women, children and families in general. Parents had to pay attention to their children and give them knowledge about Jehovah. The law forbade adultery, which so often leads to the breakdown of families, loss of trust and self-respect. The law ordered the care of widows and orphans and did not allow them to be treated cruelly.

In the Mosaic Law, love was put above all else. In the book of Deuteronomy alone, the various forms of the word "love" occur more than 20 times. "Love your neighbor as yourself," was the second most important commandment in the law (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37-40). The Israelis had to show such love not only to their compatriots, but also to the foreigners who lived among them, as well as to the poor and destitute.

In addition, the Law reflected the perfect justice of Jehovah. It was based on the principle of equivalence. Thus, the law read: "Soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Deuteronomy 19:21). In criminal cases, the punishment had to correspond to the crime committed. In addition, the law protected against perversion of justice. For example, at least two witnesses were required to convict, and those who gave false testimony were severely punished.

And there were no prisons in ancient Israel. The method and measures of punishment were strictly stipulated. The thief was obliged to compensate for the damage caused by him. Moreover, he had to pay the victim additional compensation. In what size? It depended on the circumstances. The judges were instructed to weigh all the facts, including the degree of repentance of the sinner.

Thus, judges were entrusted to resolve cases and disputes among the people of Israel, they judged on behalf of Jehovah. This is how Jehovah provided a just solution to human problems.

Your Honor! We live in a unique time. All of humanity is on God's trial. All people are determined in their relationship to the Lord of the Universe, God Jehovah, whether to recognize his dominion as the Creator of all that exists or not to recognize it. And in this judgment of God, I am not a defendant, but a witness — a Jehovah's Witness.

The question arises: what am I being judged for? For me, religion, attitude towards God are feelings. And feelings are not subject to jurisdiction. I am being tried for being a Jehovah's Witness, although I have not committed any illegal actions. The crimes that are imputed to me have not been proven. Then why did the prosecutor ask for 6.5 years for me? After all, no concrete evidence of my guilt has been voiced, there are no victims, and it is unclear what kind of threat I pose to the state. The incorrect and arbitrary interpretation by the prosecution of the decision of the Supreme Court, and not the alleged crime committed by me, is the reason that I am in the dock today. The punishment for extremism must be serious. This means that the accusation must be based on solid evidence, but in my case, the whole accusation boils down to the fact that I am a religious person — a Jehovah's Witness. Someone said, "Where there is respect for a person, there is also respect for his faith." Obviously, we have a problem with this.

What is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia makes sense. Which one? The answer is found in Psalm 2:10-12: "Therefore, kings, be wise; learn, judges of the earth! Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Honor the Son, so that He [God] will not be angry, and so that you will not perish on your way, for His anger will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."

Thus, my appeal is not only the last word of the defendant, but also a call from God to recognize his authority and learn the truth about him. Your Honor, how do high-ranking people, such as the president, members of the Council of Europe, representatives of the United Nations, or you, learn about God? Only the situation with the persecution of believers will create such conditions. And now I am here — the president, the members of the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and even you have to listen to Jehovah's Witnesses and delve into their teachings.

Jesus predicted these events: "Beware of people, because they will put you on trial and whip you in synagogues. Because of me, you will be taken to the rulers and kings so that they, as well as people from other nations, will hear about me." So, all this is so that everyone can hear about Jesus. And he, the ruler of the Kingdom of God, always taught that the law should protect man. Not a man for the law, but the law for the man.

The expression "law enforcement agencies" indicates their main task: to protect the right — the right to life, the right to personal decisions, the right to freedom of religion. To protect this right, not to take it away!

All people have conscience and sanity. Can't you see that Jehovah's Witnesses are not criminals? Then why is the prosecution trying so hard to make us delinquents? The indictment does not record any socially dangerous actions on my part. What should be the decision in this case? According to the law and according to conscience. And the law says: Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to profess their faith both personally and jointly with others. This is exactly what was proved during this trial.

Your Honor, if your decision is accusatory, then you have assessed faith and beliefs. I do not intend to hide from the authorities, but I cannot give up my beliefs, which are not prohibited by law or conscience. And since I have not committed a single socially dangerous act, I am not a criminal!

Therefore, Your Honor, I ask you to fully justify and make a decision to terminate the criminal prosecution, because I am a law-abiding citizen.

Summary of the case

Region:

Kurgan region

Locality:

Kurgan

What is suspected of:

According to the investigation, "conducted religious gatherings including through video conferencing using the Zoom platform."

Criminal case number:

12102370012000107

Case initiated:

July 13, 2021

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has not entered into force

Investigating:

The First department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Kurgan region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.2 (2)

The number of the case in court:

1-44/2024 (1-1069/2023)

Judge of the Court of First Instance:

Sergey Lytkin

The Court of First Instance:

Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan region.