The last word of the defendant Andrei Suvorkov in Kirov

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Andrei Suvorkov in Kirov

May 23, 2022

Kirov region

From the courtroom

Addressing the court, the believer compared the modern persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with Stalinist repressions and asked the question: "Do we want history to repeat itself? Or are we able to understand that joint Bible studies, prayers and songs cannot be a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order?"

Transcript of the court session in Pervomaisky district court of Kirov dated 05/23/2022 in the case 1-2/2022 (1-5/2021; 1-123/2020) on the charges of Suvorkov Andrey Sergeevich and others. of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Suvorkov Andrey Sergeevich:

Your Honor! Thank you for the opportunity to give the last word! First of all, I would like to sincerely thank you for the atmosphere that you have created at our meetings. Everything was calm, respectful and dignified. You have equally allowed all parties to speak out and bring their point of view to the court. I would especially like to mention your concern for our health. Our case came to court just at the beginning of the pandemic. And you suspended court sessions because of an elderly participant. As a result, none of us were ill during that period, we are all alive and well. Thank you so much for this! Thank you also for your accessibility, for explaining our rights to us and advising us if necessary. You have also been patient with my legal inexperience. And thank you separately for recently letting me go to visit close relatives in another city for a few days!

Ekaterina Vladimirovna, I liked how calmly and carefully you examined all the evidence. Considering them in court, we could all make sure that there was nothing extremist about them. Moreover, all participants in the process could see what practical value the printed and video materials of Jehovah's Witnesses based on the Bible contain. They can help people change their lives for the better.

Thanks also to our defenders! There are more of you in the courtroom than the defendants themselves, you complement each other well and, if necessary, advise us. Thanks to my lawyer Kirill Sergeevich for diligently approaching my defense. You often approached me, asking if I had any questions, warned me in advance about the replacement of the defender, supplemented and supported my statements in court. Thank you for the good work!

And, of course, I would like to thank my friends and brothers, together with whom we are forced to defend ourselves here. We have known each other for a long time, we know about the wonderful spiritual and human qualities. And by going through the criminal prosecution together, we were able to get to know each other even better and get closer. You have all remained devoted to God and to each other. The words from Proverbs 17:17 can be attributed to you: "A true friend always loves, he is a brother who can be relied upon in trouble." It was a great honor for me to work with you as a team in this process!

And what a huge support I received from my dear wife Sveta! You and I have been married for almost 6 years, and most of our family life has been under criminal prosecution. But it only brought us closer and strengthened our marriage. Proverbs 18:22 says that "he who has found a good wife has found treasure." I'm a really rich man because you're with me.

I sincerely thank all my friends who have been with me, encouraging and supporting me throughout this time. You have said a lot of kind words to us, strengthened us and showed your love in practice. I received many letters of support when I was in jail. My friends took care of and helped my Sveta. I love you very much!

And I can't help but say how grateful I am to my God Jehovah! From the first day when we were searched and arrested, He was with me and gave me strength, support and comfort. I was once again convinced of the truth of the words from Philippians 4:13: "Everything is within my power thanks to him who strengthens me."

Many questions arose around the name of God at court hearings. The approach of the investigation was often such that if the name of the God Jehovah was found somewhere in a publication, video clip or document, this was a sufficient reason for its seizure and inclusion in physical evidence. There is a misconception that this name of God is used and used only by Jehovah's Witnesses. Some may even think that God does not need a name, since he is alone. But if you think about it, then every person has a name. Names are given to animals, ships, stars, even some phenomena, such as storms or tsunamis. Isn't it logical that God should have a name too? It is natural for friends to address each other by name. And if I want to become a friend of God, how will I communicate with him without knowing his name? And in the Word of God, the Bible, attention is often drawn to the fact that God has a personal name and it is very important. For example, Isaiah 12:4 says, "Praise the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his works among the nations; remind that His name is great."

The way God's name is pronounced was not invented by Jehovah's Witnesses. We only use the form "Jehovah" because this form of God's name is firmly rooted in the Russian language. In 1814, the name of God appeared in the translation of the 67th The Psalm in Russian, performed by Archimandrite Filaret (Drozdov). He used the form Jehovah. In 1822, the first translation of the book of Psalms into Russian, made by G. P. Pavsky, was published. The name of God appears in it several times. This form of God's name is also used in the poetic arrangement of the Psalms, made by E. V. Karneev in 1846, in the book of Job translated by Bishop Agafangel, published in 1860, and in the translation of the first nine books of the Hebrew Scriptures, made by Professor M. S. Gulyaev of the Kiev Theological Academy and published in 1866. Another translation of the Bible, which uses the name of God, was published in parts in the magazine "Orthodox Review" from 1860 to 1867. This translation was performed by Archimandrite Makarii, a Russian Orthodox missionary. In it, the name of God is consistently used wherever it appears in the Hebrew text. The name of God in the form of "Jehovah" is found in the widespread Synodal translation, which appeared in 1876. The same form is used in modern translations of the Bible into Russian, for example, in the "Restorative Translation". Russian Russian scholars and theologians have recognized that the name of God should occupy a worthy place in the translation of the Bible into Russian.

As you can see, the Orthodox were the first to use the name of God Jehovah in Bible translations. And we are very grateful to them for their work, research and efforts to make God's Name known.

The denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses appeared after the publication of the above translations. Their history began with the circle of "Bible Researchers", founded in 1870. In July 1879, Bible Researchers published the first issue of the journal, which was then called The Zion Watchtower and Herald of the Presence of Christ. And since 1931, Bible Researchers have been called Jehovah's Witnesses.

The name Jehovah roughly means "He gives to become." This definition well describes Jehovah's role as the Creator of everything and the Executor of his intentions. He gave existence to the Universe and intelligent creatures, and also continues to give effect to his will and intentions, regardless of any obstacles. His name also means that he "allows his creations to become what is necessary or what is necessary for the fulfillment of his intention. And I felt it for myself.

I have no legal education. My modest experience, as I said in my testimony, was only in court, where I sought alternative civil service. It is not easy for me to speak here, write complaints, objections, petitions, etc. I can say for myself that 4 years ago I knew very little about legal protection. Now, after all this time, I have only become even more convinced of how little my knowledge is. And how did God's name manifest itself here? Jehovah "let me become" a lawyer for myself and in some ways for my friends. A simple young guy, a computer operator, an amateur of electronic technology, who works as a janitor, writes petitions to the investigator, complaints to the prosecutor's office and other authorities, conducts interrogations in court, makes objections, petitions and debates... For me, this is a miracle that God Jehovah did, in accordance with his name — He gives a chance.

The public prosecutor has requested a custodial sentence for most of us. It made me think about what freedom is. For people, freedom can only be relative. Everyone has to reckon with the limits of their abilities and must obey God's all-encompassing laws. For example, the scope of human freedom is determined by factors such as the law of universal gravitation, laws governing chemical reactions, exposure to the sun, moral laws, the rights and actions of others. The freedom of all people is relative.

Freedom is usually granted or guaranteed by a certain authority and is associated with our subordination to that authority. In fact, in almost every case, a person can be free only when he recognizes the authority that guarantees his freedom. For example, citizens enjoy many benefits such as freedom of movement, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They are guaranteed by the law of the country. A person can use them only as long as he obeys the law. If he abuses his freedom and violates the law, he is held accountable by the authorities, and may even be deprived of his freedom by imprisonment. The Bible says about it this way: "After all, rulers are God's servants, for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, because they do not wear a sword in vain. They are God's servants, punishing those who do evil" (Romans 13:4). These words encourage me to obey and obey the current government.

But who has unlimited, absolute freedom? Only with the Almighty God. No one can restrict his freedom, interfere with his plan. Only he can make any choice he wants and then implement it in spite of any resistance. Can God share more freedom with people than we have? Turns out, yes. Jesus told his disciples, "If you keep my word, then you are indeed my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31,32). This freedom will be granted by the Almighty of the universe. This is freedom from superstition, from false religious teachings that do not give hope, freedom from the bondage of sin, from bad habits, a clear conscience, a close relationship with God and much, much more. The freedom granted by Jehovah is real freedom, and it will last forever.

I got such freedom when I devoted myself to God. This freedom cannot be deprived, even by imprisoning a person. As you know, I've already been there. And I became convinced that no walls and bars can protect me from the God of Jehovah, disrupt my relationship with him, deprive me of inner peace, joy and real freedom. I do what God expects of me, what is written in his Word, the Bible, and I feel his approval on me. I have a strong hope that Jehovah will take care of me and restore true justice at the right time. This is real freedom!

I am not afraid of being deprived of my physical freedom, but does this mean that I want to end up in prison again? Of course not. I am a healthy person and I want to be free with my family and friends. I want to be useful to others and work with my own hands. I want to fully enjoy God's creations.

So, true freedom is not conditioned by the conditions in which a person is free or imprisoned. You can be in prison or in a penal colony and feel free inside. Because no one could force you to give up your faith and betray God. Your conscience is clear before God and before people. Or you can be free and not be truly free. Because, for example, I have to follow orders and request the imprisonment of innocent people, and I understand this perfectly well internally. Otherwise, you will lose your job, status and career. You have to drown out the voice of conscience, hide your opinion, deprive yourself of freedom of speech, and do what you are ordered to do. There is no true freedom in this case, from the word "absolutely".

There are such words: "You are free as long as your freedom does not interfere with the freedom of another person." I can say for myself that my worship of God has not deprived or hindered the freedom of other people. The court sessions were proof of that. There is not a single victim in our case. The words from 1 Peter 2:16 also encourage me to properly manage my freedom. It says: "Behave like free people, but do not use your freedom to cover up evil deeds, but dispose of it as slaves of God." If I had mismanaged my freedom, the worst thing would have happened for me — I would have lost God's approval.

Your Honor! When deciding on this case, you will be guided by the law and conscience. Conscience is inherent in all people, because it was given to us by the Almighty. It is an inner awareness or feeling of what is right and what is wrong; conscience justifies or accuses, that is, judges. She learns under the influence of thoughts and actions, as well as the beliefs that a person develops, and the rules that he adopts during the acquisition of knowledge and through life experience. This is how a person learns the criteria by which his conscience evaluates his actions and intentions. When discrepancies arise between the learned rules and the actual course of action, conscience, so to speak, sounds the alarm if it has not "hardened", that is, has not become insensitive from the constant neglect of its signals.

Thus, when you see the discrepancy between the law and the voice of conscience, you can show mercy. This quality applies not only to forgiveness and commutation of sentence, but also encourages to extend a helping hand to those in need, to protect the weak and needy from injustice and arbitrariness. But mercy is rewarded! Matthew 5:7 says: "Happy are the merciful, because mercy will be shown to them."

God Himself shows us mercy every day. This is one of the facets of his love. He forgives our sins and gives us hope. Jehovah shows mercy whenever there are reasons for it. If we humbly acknowledge how much we need mercy, it is easier for us to be merciful to others.

I am sure that the Almighty notices all our good deeds, none of them will pass without a trace for him. I especially liked one verse from the Bible because it talks about judgment. James 2:13, listen: "For whoever does not show mercy will be judged without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." This is a very powerful thought. When the time comes to give an account to God, and such a time will surely come, he will take into account the mercy that we have shown towards others and forgive us. In view of this, I decided to strive for mercy to be one of my main qualities.

During the court sessions, the words were repeated from the mouth of the head of the CPE Maslov and the state prosecutor Opaleva that after the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 on the liquidation of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, it was impossible to profess one's faith together with others. It reminded me of what I read in the book "Gulag Archipelago" while I was in jail. There I saw a reflection of many of today's events. I will quote a short thought from there: "However, it was believed that they [believers] were arrested and tried, as if not for their faith itself, but for expressing their beliefs out loud and for raising children in this spirit. As Tanya Khodkevich wrote: "You can pray freely, but ... so that God alone can hear." (She received ten years for this poem.)". Do we want history to repeat itself? Or are we able to understand that joint Bible studies, prayers and songs cannot be a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state?

All our actions were dictated only by love for God and for our neighbor! And as for the constitutional system, as you have heard from the testimony of all the defendants, we only rely on Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Our whole motive was limited only to peaceful religion. None of us fit into the portrait of an extremist.

But I am not offended or annoyed by those who persecute me and treat me unfairly. The criminal prosecution, which has been going on for more than three and a half years, has not made me worse, has not embittered me, has not deprived me of hope and faith in people. On the contrary, it made my faith stronger, my personality stronger, improved my inner qualities and made me closer to God. Therefore, I will never renounce my faith in God and will serve him forever! I am sure that if I do not leave Jehovah, He will not leave me!

I ask you to pass an acquittal against us! And I ask you to attach my last word in printed form to the case file.

Summary of the case

Region:

Kirov region

Locality:

Kirov

What is suspected of:

According to the investigation, "meetings of followers and participants of the said association [Jehovah's Witnesses] were organized in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in joint singing of biblical songs, improving skills in carrying out missionary activities, studying religious literature, the so-called "Holy Scripture" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of extremist materials containing the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses."

Criminal case number:

11802330022000044

Case initiated:

October 3, 2018

The current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigates:

SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Kirov region

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (1), 282.3 (1), 282.2 (2)

The number of the case in court:

1-2/2022 (1-5/2021; 1-123/2020)

Court of first instance:

Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov

Judge of the Court of first instance:

Timur Yusupov