On
15 and 16 January 2019, Dennis Christensen, who is
charged with "arranging the activity of an extremist organization"
(Art. 282.2 of CC RF), presented to the court his explanations. He
confirmed
that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, analyzed
the motives
ascribed to him by the investigation, pointed out the shortcomings
in the
indictment, openly exposed the secret witness of the prosecution,
and declared
his complete innocence.
Concerning
his faith and intent. "It is true that I am
an elder," he confessed in court. "Among Jehovah's Witnesses this
is
not an office but a way of life of a minister of God." As
evidence,
Christensen quoted for the court excerpts from the Bible that
speak about the
high moral requirements for elders. However he decisively refuted
the
accusation of "convoking meetings" and that he is an
"organizer" of worship services. Christensen described in detail
that
Christian meeting are an expression of Christian love on the part
of each
person and that they were conducted in Orel before his arrival and
will be
conducted if he is not there.
In
analyzing the motives ascribed to him as extremist,
Dennis Christensen described why he likes the religion of the
Witnesses:
"We call one another brothers and sisters. . . . After such
meetings a
person feels encouraged. We discuss how to provide practical help
to those who
are sick. It is possible they need help in purchasing groceries or
preparing
meals. The elderly often need help if something breaks or a light
bulb needs
changing. We discuss how to help people so that they will have
close relations
with God and how to explain biblical truths to them. We discuss
how one can
improve relations with neighbors, coworkers, and classmates.
Sometimes about
what we could do in order that our city becomes yet cleaner." He
summarized: "As is evident from the aforesaid, when I became a
Jehovah's
Witness and subsequently, when I came to Russia, I did not have
any intention
to commit a crime."
Was
it forbidden to believe in Jehovah. Back in the SIZO
[investigative cell], Christensen received the possibility to
acquaint himself
with the judicial decision finding the local religious
organization of
Jehovah's Witnesses of Orel to be extremist. He read an excerpt
from the ruling
of the Russian Supreme Court of 18 October 2016: "The rights of
members of
the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses of Orel to
freedom of
religious confession will not be violated, since they are not
denied the
possibility of exercising and conducting religious rituals not
connected with
the distribution of religious literature of extremist contents."
After
this Christensen declared: "If the Supreme Court considers it
legal for
believers, including former members of the local religious
organization, to
conduct and profess their religious rituals, why then was I
accused that in my
case these actions are illegal? If the Supreme Court has given
such an
explanation, why am I accused that I should have understood it
differently?"
Christensen
explained that the local religious organization
of Orel ceased to exist on 18 October 2016 on the basis of a court
decision.
But this did not mean that believers in the city of Orel were
required to cease
believing in God. "Since article 28 of the constitution has not be
changed
up to the present time, I consider that I and my fellow believers
had the right
to conduct worship services, which were not in any way connected
with the legal
entity that had been liquidated."
Concerning
the secret records of telephone conversations.
"The F.S.B. secretly surveilled me in the course of nine months,"
Christensen said. "And I did not suspect this. And in all of that
period I
never denigrated anybody, I did not encourage genocide, nor the
persecution of
other people, nor the destruction of the family, nor violence, nor
anything
else that I am accused of. The fact that in my telephone
conversations various
questions were discussed which were connected with my life as a
believing person
is not evidence that I committed some kind of crime." "In none of
my
telephone conversations did there even occur the expression 'local
religious
organization,'" Christensen continued. "Meanwhile the prosecution
arbitrarily declares that I talked about the local religious
organization of
Jehovah's Witnesses of Orel. And I never had anything to do with
it either
legally or actually. Consequently I never had either the intention
nor the
desire to revive the activity of this organization."
Exposure
of a secret witness. Separately Dennis Christensen
focused on the testimony of a secret witness with the pseudonym of
"Ermilov." "The court was not able to be convinced of the fact
that the real name of this citizen is Oleg Kurdiumov. He is a
teacher of the Orel
State University," Dennis Christensen said. "Under the pretext of
a
person who was interested in the Bible, Kurdiumov began, in
accordance with
instructions of the F.S.B., to take pictures with a hidden camera,
and then
also on instructions from the F.S.B. to secretly record on a
dictaphone our
conversations with him. Since the audio and video tapes he
obtained did not
contain any information about crimes committed by me, Kurdiumov
decided to
supplement them with his own fantasies, giving testimony under a
pseudonym. I
regard this act as unworthy of a university instructor. . . . As
the witness
Kurdiumov explained, much of the information he gave to the court,
he read on
the internet network. That means, his testimony cannot be used as
evidence in
the case, inasmuch as it is only hearsay."
"Esteemed
court, I wish to emphasize that in contrast
with the side of the prosecution, I never viewed the peaceful
worship services
of believers to be a continuation of the activity of the
liquidated local
religious organization," Dennis Christensen said in conclusion. "I
never had the intention of committing a crime." (tr. by PDS,
posted 18
January 2019)
DEBATES
OF THE SIDES IN CASE OF DANISH BELIEVER IN OREL MAY
START AS EARLY AS 21 JANUARY 2019
On
21 January 2019, in the Zheleznodorozhny court of Orel,
the hearings in the case of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen
will continue.
It is likely that on this day the debates of the sides with start,
during which
representatives of the prosecution declare which penalty, in their
opinion,
should be assigned to the believer. After the debates, the
defendant will be
acorded his last word, and the court will go off into the
conference room for
issuing the sentence.
On
16 January 2019, the court practically concluded the
judicial investigation in the case. Witnesses for the prosecution
and defense
were questioned and the materials and testimonies existing in the
case were
examined. The defendant presented his explanations to the court.
The side of
the defense filed petitions whose resolution was postponed until
21 January
2019. The sides confirmed for the court that they are ready to
start the
debates.
The
charge against Dennis Christensen, of "arranging
the activity of an extremist organization (art. 282.2 of CC RF),
is based on
the decision of a court to liquidate and prohibit the activity of
the local
religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses of the city of Orel.
The believer
himself denies any connection with extremism and insists upon his
complete
innocence.
The
hearing will begin on 21 January 2019 at 11:00 in the
Zheleznodorozhny district court of the city of Orel at the address
45a Maxim
Gorky St. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 January 2019)
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