The last word of the defendant Evgeny Suvorkov in Kirov

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Evgeny Suvorkov in Kirov

May 23, 2022

Kirov region

From the courtroom

In his last word, the believer said: "Persecution and persecution are all very unpleasant and even terrible, because my life as a peaceful and law—abiding believer is turning inside out… You have the opportunity to put an end to the absurd accusations of extremist activity."

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 Evgeny Anatolyevich and others. of committing a crime under Parts 1 and 2 of Articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Suvorkov Evgeny Anatolyevich:

I would like to thank the distinguished court, the participants in the trial and you, Your Honor, for your conscientious work and professionalism, for your respectful attitude, for giving you the opportunity to speak in your defense, for the friendly and calm atmosphere during the hearings, for your patience and desire to understand this criminal case.

I would like to thank Ekaterina Vladimirovna Opaleva for a thorough study of the case materials and the desire to understand it, even with an accusatory bias. Thanks to this, many biblical truths close to my heart have been heard in this hall.

My beloved wife, Svetlana, you are an example of fortitude and confidence in God's support for me. You always support me, even though you had a hard time yourself after the search and my arrest, as well as the arrest of our son. The reality is that you can again lose two people dear to your heart for a long time.

I want to thank my friends who support me now, and those who wrote letters of support in the pre-trial detention center, and those who defend themselves against unfair accusations with me.

There is an expression "return to the roots". Surprisingly, I met Jehovah's Witnesses in 1994 in the adjacent office of this building. The believers simply gathered, rented a classroom for the first time and held simple "worship services with chanting and prayers," as the investigator describes it. Then, in order to comply with the law, they registered the MRO, thinking that there would be help from the state in obtaining a place for a religious building and other legitimate opportunities to practice their religion. Everything seemed reasonable: the charter was registered, the opinion of the authorities about the Witnesses was positive.

I have always thought and now believe that compliance with the law should not lead to problems with the authorities. The MRO has never included any religious groups, and its activities have been sporadic. Soon I had another opportunity to show that Jehovah's Witnesses are reasonable, law—abiding citizens. A wonderful conversation took place at the military enlistment office with the head of the 2nd department and the military commissars of other districts of the Kirov region about alternative civil service (AGS), as well as about my beliefs, legal rights and duties. I was surprised that, knowing about constitutional rights, officials were in no hurry to give me the opportunity to exercise them, citing the absence of the law and their understanding of who it applies to.

For me, the military's argument was strange: "Jesus taught to give your life for your friends, therefore you must serve the motherland." Yes, Jesus said that it is possible to give your life for others, but he did not mean that you need to take other people's lives and learn to kill. After long legal proceedings, I was reinstated and given a reprieve until the adoption of the AGS law. This shows that I had Bible-based beliefs long before the advent of the MRO (John 13:34, 35).

[…]

God intends to establish peace on earth, a world in which his will would be fulfilled, a world in which there are no wars, misfortunes and extremism. This is how Jehovah himself speaks about this time in Revelation John, chapter 21, verse 4: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; there will be no more crying, no more crying, no more sickness; for the former has passed away." Please imagine how wonderful it is: a world where there is no place for violence, injustice and prejudice, disease and even death! That is, everything that people suffer from every day today. A simple and understandable promise that is close to everyone. And an unlimited number of people have this opportunity. It is logical to go to court if you believe that there is justice there. It is also logical that a believer turns to the Bible for answers to moral questions.

Everything I have learned as a Jehovah's Witness helps me in my family life and in my professional activities. Working in various fields, from factory construction to cleaning companies, I became convinced that the reputation of a servant of God helps to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. What is the reputation of Jehovah's Witnesses among employers? People who are honest, responsible, non-confrontational, sociable, not ambitious, but with a purpose in life. Thanks to God and his laws, my family didn't need anything, we always had everything we needed. Moreover, we had the opportunity to help others. I am pleased to know that my family can help someone. It is quite obvious that Jehovah's Witnesses are judged only for their faith, and not for any crime.

For a comprehensive and objective assessment of this case, it is impossible not to mention the one who largely determines my motives and actions — Jesus Christ. Someone who is respected by millions of Christians around the world today. He did not offend anyone—not even with a word, not even with a thought—not a single person. However, he was accused of a crime for which he was punished only by death. What is it exactly? Blasphemy and extremism.

Is it possible to imagine such a thing today? Does it mean that millions of Christians today follow a blasphemer? Of course not! There was not a shred of truth in the accusations against him. And the trial of Christ was far from fair. But, sadly, little has changed in the history of mankind. In the movie "The Faithful in the Trial. Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" one of the rehabilitated Jehovah's Witnesses, Mikitkov, wondered: "What did I suffer for?" The answer is obvious — for believing in Jehovah. And now we are charged with a serious crime. There are no victims, there are no violated rights of an unlimited number of people. But my accounts have been blocked for several years now, and it takes several days to get even a part of my salary, sitting in queues at the bank.

Interestingly, there is a monument in the city of Magadan, it is called the "Mask of Sorrow". It was erected in memory of the repressions carried out in the USSR. More than 700 thousand people were exiled, among them Jehovah's Witnesses. The survivors, as well as children born in exile, were recognized as victims of political repression and rehabilitated. But what is happening now, we can say, depersonalizes, devalues rehabilitation and the monument. Why did the author call this monument the "Mask of Sorrow" and not the "Face of Sorrow"? Perhaps because the mask can be put on and taken off, you can hide something under the mask. It turns out that modern religious persecution shows that historical lessons have not been learned.

It would be a pity if the grief over those atrocities is just a mask. I'm sure it's not for everyone. Freedom of speech, thought, religion is the foundation, and if it is violated, then it affects the whole society, not just individuals. The law "On Rehabilitation of victims of political repression" was adopted in the Russian Federation. The preamble of this law declares: "During the years of Soviet power, millions of people became victims of the arbitrariness of the totalitarian state, were subjected to repression for political and religious beliefs on social, national and other grounds. Condemning the long-term terror and mass persecution of its people as incompatible with the idea of law and justice, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation expresses deep sympathy to the victims of unjustified repression, their families and friends, and declares its unwavering desire to seek real guarantees of the rule of law and human rights."

If we recall Christ and his arrest again, then there is another parallel. This is what is written in Mark 14:43: "And at that hour, as He [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude of people with swords and stakes." Verse 48: "Then Jesus said to them, As if you had come out against a robber with swords and stakes to take me; every day I was with you in the temple and taught, and you did not take me." Jesus was always in plain sight, did not hide, did not show aggression — why the crowd? Why swords, stakes, spears? This question still arises now. Why special forces, riot police, masks, machine guns, searches, lists of Rosfinmonitoring? And again I found the answer in the Bible. The Evangelist Matthew describes how Jesus was accused: "The chief priests and elders and the entire Sanhedrin sought false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death and did not find it; and although many false witnesses came..." (Matthew 26:59).

Notice, dear court, they immediately looked for false witnesses, because they had nothing to bring against Christ. That's what his accusation is based on — perjury, falsification and overturning of facts. Today, in the case, most of the materials are designated as simply materials of a religious nature or notebooks with notes allegedly about the activities of the meeting, and not a word about the MRO. Mobile phones and tablets have become a "means of conspiracy", an ordinary webcam is a "special interactive device", one of the most common Skype programs for communication around the world has turned into a "special program designed for visual contact", and going to visit friends and discussing the Bible is a "secret entrance to the address".

Whatever the decision, I am determined to continue to show love for God and my neighbors. You can't take that away from me or forbid it. That makes sense to me. That's why my religion has such a name — "Jehovah's Witnesses". The New Testament Theological Dictionary says: "The word "witness" is used in the sense of a witness to facts that can be confirmed, and in the meaning of one who testifies to certain truths, that is, openly speaks about his beliefs." I can tell the truth about God without the MRO.

It is important to note that a "martyr" is not someone who died a martyr's death, but someone who did not stop testifying under threat of death. "Martyr" (martis) originally meant "fearless witness". I think it's clearer to the court now why Jehovah's Witnesses are called that. Romans 10:13, 14 says: "For 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,' but how shall we call upon him in whom we have not believed? And how do you believe in someone you haven't heard of? And how can you hear without a preacher?" And really, how? Therefore, the life position of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the conviction that it is important to continue to testify about God and his name. This is the meaning of the rights guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I wish my neighbors well and I want every person on earth to have the opportunity to live forever. That's why I can't stop talking about Jehovah God and the Bible. At the same time, we are not talking about any resumption of the activities of the MRO or other legal entities.

At a certain stage, each person gives an assessment of the years they have lived: what they have done good in life and what is bad. Someone in a very old age, someone, being bedridden and very ill, thinks about God and how God will evaluate the deeds he has done. The Bible says that everyone will be judged according to their deeds. My conscience is clear before God and people.

Did any of us expect criminal prosecution for peaceful actions? Many years ago, reading the words of Jesus Christ, I was greatly surprised. Luke 21:12, 13: "But before all this happens, people will persecute you, they will grab you, bring you to the synagogues for trial and throw you into prisons. Because of my name, you will be taken to kings and rulers. This will give you the opportunity to preach." I noticed that he does not talk here about the details of jurisprudence, the constitution of a particular state, what is considered a crime and what is not, about charges, what they may be, or about a private opinion, or the verdict of some ruler or judge. He says simply the fact that "they will give you to the courts for Me to testify to them." These words are being fulfilled before your eyes today.

The issue of the so-called universal values, which in modern society have to be protected at the legislative level, was often raised at the court session. The view of family values, the choice of treatment methods, and service to the fatherland are constantly changing. It was the confidence in the constancy of moral norms and God's promises that attracted me to the Jehovah's Witness denomination, and I became part of a large multinational family.

Why, with all the efforts of a progressive society, have intolerance and religious persecution not become a thing of the past? Behind all this change in moral values is a powerful spiritual personality — Satan the Devil. The Bible explicitly says that he can blind the minds of people who do evil. Why does he need all this, what is he trying to achieve? The world is already mired in vices, wars, and hatred. This is the result of his despair and the imminent fulfillment of prophecies about his demise.

Of course, you can say that you love God and Christ, but something else is hidden in your heart. But God cannot be deceived, because he does not look at a person's appearance, but at what is hidden in a person's heart — at his inner essence, which manifests itself in all his actions. In the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, Jesus explains how to determine whether a person is lying: "Whoever says, "I love God," but hates his brother, is a liar: for he who does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see?" (1 John 4:20). Jehovah's Witnesses honor, glorify and love God with all their hearts. They try to look at people like a God who is attracted to people by devoted love and kindness, and not by race, nationality or how a person looks. That's what makes them different.

The story of my brothers in the faith helps me not to get angry, despite the events that are taking place. According to the Roman historian Tacitus, in 64 AD, Emperor Nero was unable to "stop the rumor that dishonored him, he sought out the guilty and subjected to the most sophisticated executions those who had incurred universal hatred and whom the crowd called Christians. A great many were convicted not so much of villainous arson as of hatred of the human race. Their killing was accompanied by bullying… Nevertheless, these cruelties aroused compassion for them, because it seemed that they were being exterminated not for public benefit, but because of the bloodthirstiness of Nero alone." Did this stop the Christians? No! Jehovah's support helped them overcome everything.

A curious observation was made by the respected teacher of the law Gamaliel, his words are recorded in the book of Acts of the Holy Apostles 5th chapter verses 34-39. Recalling examples from the past, Gamaliel showed that it would be wise not to interfere with the work of the apostles, and then added: "And now, I tell you, leave these people alone and leave them; for if this enterprise and this work are from men, then it will be destroyed, but if from God, then you cannot destroy Take care that you do not turn out to be God-defying." History confirms that people have not been able to stop this case because it is from God.

Of course, persecution and persecution are all very unpleasant and even terrible, because my life as a peaceful and law—abiding believer is turning inside out, and those who have no right to it begin to get into it, conducting searches and other events. What did the law enforcement agencies find by rummaging through my personal belongings and humiliating my dignity at the same time? Papers, things that confirm that I am a believer. It's just senseless and inhumane. You have the opportunity to put an end to senseless religious persecution and absurd accusations of extremist activity against me.

Your Honor, I hope that this trial has proven my innocence. I ask you to make a fair decision against me, to find me innocent, to fully acquit and restore my good name, recognizing my right to rehabilitation.

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

Investigating:

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