Transcript:
Your Honor! I would first like to express my gratitude to everyone present for participating in such a difficult case.
Thank you, Your Honor, for skillfully conducting the court hearings and for your professionalism. If I misunderstood something from a legal standpoint, you calmly explained it to me. Thank you for attentively listening to and accepting all my motions.
Thank you to my lawyer for your help during the hearings, for your helpful advice, and for your support. I appreciated that you showed respect for my beliefs and devoted time to understanding my case, even though this was a new type of case for you. It was easy and comfortable to cooperate with you; you have wonderful qualities, and you are a gentle and kind person.
I would also like to thank the court clerk, because thanks to your work, the process is made public. A special thank you as well for your tact, politeness, kindness, and respectful attitude.
I want to express gratitude to the prosecution for their calm attitude toward me. It meant a lot to me to hear you pronounce my God's name — Jehovah — correctly and with respect.
And of course, special thanks to my dear daughter and my friends for their support and help. Thank you, my friends! Your presence, hugs, and smiles have encouraged and strengthened me.
Most importantly, I am grateful to my God, Jehovah, who gives me strength to endure this difficult period of my life!
Your Honor, I never thought that as a law-abiding believer, I would find myself on the defendant’s bench. The persecution by the authorities has impacted my entire life and my emotional and physical health. For 4 years I have constantly lived under stress and anxiety. And all this is because of an unjust charge of extremism.
All these hardships complicate my life, but I understand why this is happening. Jesus warned his followers by saying: “But before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and …