The last word of the defendant Vitaly Ilyinykh in Ussuriysk

 RUSSIA 

The last word of the defendant Vitaly Ilyinykh in Ussuriysk

April 14, 2022

Primorsky Krai

From the courtroom

In his appeal to the court, the believer pointed out that his religion has nothing to do with the crime imputed to him: "It is unthinkable for me to treat people rudely, intolerantly or cruelly, and even more so to commit a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state."

Transcript of the court session in the Ussuriysky District Court of Primorsky Krai dated 04/14/2022 in the case 1-112/2021 (1-881/2020) on the accusation of Vitaly Vladimirovich Ilyinykh of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Vitaly Vladimirovich Ilyinykh: Your Honor, I would like to sincerely thank you for the way you approached the consideration of my case. You have examined all the materials very carefully and have given me the opportunity to speak out and explain my point of view on the accusation. I also thank you for setting the time of the process considering my work, although you were not obliged to do so. Thank you very much to the prosecutor for always being friendly. I want to thank the secretary for conveniently coming to court on a summons. Thank you very much to my lawyer for understanding all the details of my accusation. And of course, I thank my dear wife, mother and friends. For more than 2.5 years of business, they have been a real support and support for me.

In the last word, I want to remember a little bit about my life before I became a Jehovah's Witness. I was raised with a sense of justice. But every time I faced injustice, I wondered: will people be able to live in a just world? And, being a believer, I asked: why does God allow all this?

When I joined the law enforcement agencies, I was faced with the reality of life, and in a sense my life went downhill. A few years later, I met Jehovah's Witnesses. I had a lot of questions for them. What surprised me was that they answered all my questions with the help of the Bible. The first verses I remember in the Bible are 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, where it says: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect, prepared for every good work." I thought: Or maybe the Bible can change my life too? From that moment on, my life gradually began to improve.

But not everything was so easy, because I acquired a bunch of bad habits. And after a few years, with the help of God, I was able to get rid of these habits and become a Jehovah's Witness. I really wanted to tell everyone how friendship with God can have a positive impact on life. For more than 20 years, I have seen how God's Word can change people's lives for the better. I have seen evil, cruel, unscrupulous people become kind, humble, caring. I saw how some people's family life was falling apart, but thanks to the Bible they were able to preserve and improve it. And now I can say with confidence: "For the word of God is alive and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword: it penetrates to the separation of soul and spirit, compounds and brains, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

And today, dear court, I am being judged not for having done something wrong, but for being a Jehovah's Witness, for faithfully serving my God Jehovah. If a person sacrifices his life for the interests of the state, he is called a hero, but if a person is devoted to God, why is he called a fanatic?

Imagine for a moment: all people live according to the same biblical law: "So, in everything, as you want people to do to you, so do you to them, for this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12). And this is exactly what Jehovah's Witnesses teach. It is unthinkable for me to treat people rudely, intolerantly or cruelly, and even more so to commit a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.

Jehovah's Witnesses have never participated in rallies, demonstrations or pickets. We have never rebelled, because we are guided by the biblical principle: "Let every soul be subject to higher authorities, for there is no authority not from God; the existing authorities are established from God" (Romans 13:1). If I went against the government, then, in fact, I would rebel against the power of God, because He allows human governments.

During the investigation, I was often hinted at and even directly told to change my religion. But it was my religion that made me who I am now. Thanks to Jehovah's Witnesses, I stopped smoking, getting drunk, using drugs, swearing, disrespecting people, and the list goes on. And now I need to change my religion? It would be tantamount to betraying the God of Jehovah, in whom I believe and who showed me what the meaning of life is.

The great French philosopher once said: "If there were no God, he would have to be invented." I dare to paraphrase his quote: "If there were no Jehovah's Witnesses, then they would be worth inventing." Jehovah's Witnesses are useful members of society, but the prosecution wants to make us outcasts and extremists. This is illegal and unfair. I believe that my God will surely restore justice, as He promised in His word of the Bible.

Your Honor, I am not guilty of anything before God or the state. Therefore, I ask you to make a fair decision and acquit me.

Summary of the case

Region:

Primorsky Krai

Locality:

Ussuriysk

What is suspected:

According to the investigation, he carried out "organizational actions to distribute prohibited literature and information, as well as control over the conduct of sermons by participants of a local religious organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of the religious organization "Management Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and local religious organizations included in its structure)

Criminal case number:

11902050010000101

Case initiated:

September 18, 2019

Current stage of the case:

The verdict has entered into force

Investigating:

From the city of Ussuriysk to the SU IC of the Russian Federation in the Primorsky Territory

Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

282.2 (2)

Case number in court:

1-12/2022 (1-112/2021; 1-881/2020)

Court:

Ussuriysky District Court of Primorsky Krai

Judge:

Anna Zakharova