The last word of the defendant Raisa Usanova in Vladivostok

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Raisa Usanova in Vladivostok

May 27, 2022

Primorsky Krai

From the courtroom

Addressing the court, Raisa Usanova compared modern prisoners of conscience with Christians of the first century. The believer said: "Jesus Christ warned that his followers would be brought to the courts "for my name to testify before them." Today his words come true — I stand before you."

Transcript of the court session in the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok dated 05/27/2022 in the case 1-14/2022 (1-136/2021; 1-414/2019) on the charges of Raisa Mikhailovna Usanova and others. of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Usanova Raisa Mikhailovna:

Your Honor, I would like to begin my last word by thanking you for your patience and correct attitude towards us. You took into account our age. Thanks to the prosecutor for pronouncing God's name correctly. I thank Assistant Judge Yana, who always explained the necessary information to us clearly and patiently. Thanks to our lawyers who defended me and my friends. I thank my fellow believers, they prayed for me — it's worth a lot today. I thank my friends who are with me in the dock. They were my support and support during all the court sessions.

Your Honor, it's not my fault. They call me an extremist, but I didn't commit any crime. There are no casualties or damage. And the prosecution did not provide a single fact proving that I had criminal intent or that anyone was harmed by my actions. And I do not understand how I undermine the foundations of the constitutional order, what danger I pose to the state and what dangerous consequences my actions may have.

I study the Bible and live by it. I am a believer. I am a Witness of the living God, Jehovah, and I want to remain one. He himself called his servants by this name: "And you are my witnesses" (Isaiah 43:10). I learned about God from the Bible, which I always wanted to understand. While researching this book, I strive to be peaceful, fair, loving people and God. I am learning to respect the government and its laws. I dedicated my life to God, not to any organization. According to the Bible, in order to strengthen and encourage each other, my friends and I gathered together. This is the command of Jehovah. In the letter to Hebrews 10:24, 25 it is written: "Let us be attentive to one another, encouraging love and good deeds; let us not leave our assembly." When we got together, we sang songs, prayed and talked about God. Can prayers, songs and conversations about God undermine the constitutional order? I want people in our country to treat each other with respect and kindness.

When I was 53 years old, I learned from the Bible the answers to many questions that worried me. It has radically changed my life. I stopped feeling lonely being around people. I didn't have a father, but I got a Father who is better than everyone else. Reading his letter, the Bible that he left to all people, I found answers to all my questions: why do people age and die? Why are children dying? The reason that people are dying is the transgression of our forefathers Adam and Eve. They rebelled against God and wanted to set the standards of good and evil themselves. They chose the path of independence from God. The result is a genetic disease leading to death. They passed this inheritance on to their descendants, that is, to you and me. This is recorded in the books of Genesis and Romans.

Jehovah allowed this for a while so that people would learn an important lesson — independence from God will not bring real happiness. We see the result of such independence: wars, terrorist attacks, crime, violence, drugs, unhappy marriages, corruption. This list can be enumerated indefinitely. Only the perfect government of God under the guidance of Jesus Christ will be able to correct the situation. And all Christians pray for this rule in the prayer "Our Father". They say: "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10). Sanctifying the name of God and his rule is the most important thing in my life, because his name is being blackened. And today, when I am in the dock, I feel his support.

Jesus Christ warned that his followers would be brought to the courts "for my name to testify before them." Today his words come true — I stand before you. In the 1st century AD, Jesus stood trial on false charges and was sentenced to death for crimes he did not commit.

I am also standing in court today with my friends on the false accusation of witness Petrova. Her testimony is based on information taken from the Internet, partly it consists of her guesses and conjectures, partly from lies spread about us. I have no negative feelings towards her. She makes her choice.

On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court clarified that the performance of religious rites is not a crime according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. All we did at our joint meetings was to hold divine services. The prosecution witness often said that preaching (the opportunity to share her beliefs with people) is recruitment. I do not know where she got this wording from. We don't recruit anyone, we invite people to find out, and they make the choice themselves. In our publications, which were reviewed at the meetings, there is a note on the last page: "those who wish can order." "Willing," not those who are being forced. You can see the difference for yourself. The purpose of the Watchtower magazines is to glorify Jehovah God as the Lord of the universe. All that was seized from me during the search was my personal library.

Your Honor, the statue of a blindfolded woman serves as a symbol of justice and legality all over the world. She has a scale in one hand and a sword in the other. The scales symbolize the careful weighing of evidence, the sword — the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty. Blindfolded — impartiality. But, unfortunately, most often the symbol remains a symbol. Your Honor, I ask you to be impartial to me and my friends, carefully weighing the evidence, and use the sword to protect us from lawlessness.

I ask you, Your Honor, to acquit me and my friends. We are not guilty.

Summary of the case

Region:

Primorsky Krai

Locality:

Vladivostok

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, he participated in divine services, which is interpreted as participation in the activities of an extremist organization (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)

Criminal case number:

11807050001000038

Case initiated:

April 9, 2018

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

The Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorsky Krai

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)

The number of the case in court:

1-14/2022 (1-136/2021; 1-414/2019)

The Court:

Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok

Judge:

Maxim Anufriev