DENNIS
CHRISTENSEN
TO ADDRESS APPELLATE COURT WITH FINAL WORD ON 23 MAY
Jehovah's
Witnesses
in Russia, 16 May 2019
On 23
May 2019, at
10:00 a.m. in Orel oblast court, the appellate hearing in the
case of the
Jehovah's Witness from Denmark will approach its end. After
this, the court
will retire for establishing the sentence.
On 16
May 2019, prosecutors
and Dennis Christensen's defense lawyers spoke in the debates.
The hearing was
attended by foreign diplomats, journalists, and also many
representatives of
the public. The sessions are being held in the building of the
district court
at the address: Orel, Krasnoarmeiskaia St., bldg. 6. (tr. by
PDS, posted 16 May
2019)
"CHRISTENSEN IS WINNER": GOEBBELS AND CHRIST'S
PERSECUTION
RECALLED IN OREL OBLAST COURT
by Maksim Kliagin
Orlovskie
Novosti, 16 May 2019
On 16 May, in the Orel oblast court, the consideration
of the appeal of
the Danish follower of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses
Dennis Christensen
was resumed; he had been sentenced to six years in a penal
colony for reviving
the activity of a forbidden organization. The hearings on the
appeal have already
lasted several days. Today the parties moved to the debates. The
floor given
first to the prosecutorial party.
"I think that the bases for reversing the sentence do
not exist.
Christensen's guilt has been fully proven," prosecutor Bushyeva
noted.
According to the state prosecutor, witnesses confirmed
Christensen's
involvement in the "Jehovah's Witnesses—Orel" local religious
organization, which is considered to be extremist and banned in
Russia, and
also his revival of the activity of the organization after its
liquidation. In
addition, the Dane's guilt is confirmed by the materials of the
case and the
conclusions of an expert analysis.
"The arguments that Christensen did not commit illegal
actions and
that extremist literature was not found in his home are without
basis,"
Bushueva enunciated her position.
In the opinion of the prosecutor, the court of the first
instance
issued a legitimate decision, inasmuch as Christensen, knowing
that the
organization was forbidden, continued extremist activity. In
particular, at
worship services of the Jehovah's Witnesses were heard
statements that viewed
negatively persons who are not adherents of their religion and
representatives
of government bodies, and that stated the superiority of
Jehovah's Witnesses
over other people.
"In ordering the penalty, the court took into account
the
seriousness of the crime and its public danger. The court
reasonably made a
realistic conclusion," Bushueva said. However, important
circumstances of
the case were not taken into consideration. In particular, as
the prosecutor
noted, the court did not justify the exclusion from the verdict
the fact of the
coordination of Christensen's actions with the world
organization of Jehovah's
Witnesses, which operates on the territory of the Russian
Federation and was
liquidated for extremism. In the course of the investigation it
was established
that the Dane communicated with representatives of the forbidden
organization.
Correspondence was found on a personal computer. In addition,
Christensen received
a salary from this organization.
"It is necessary to supplement the introductory portion
of the
decision with Christensen's possession of a residence permit
good until March
2022. The rationale part should be supplemented with the
coordination of
actions with the world organization, which had been liquidated
for extremist
activity. In addition, it is necessary to note that Christensen
is a foreign
citizen. As for the rest, I ask for leaving the decision without
change and the
defense's appeal without satisfaction," Bushueva summed up.
After a recess, the floor in the debate was given to the
defense party.
"A person may be deprived of physical liberty, but not
the liberty
of convictions," the attorney Anton Bogdanov said, taking the
floor.
"Despite whatever way this trial may end, Christensen is the
winner. He
has not renounced his own ideas, even while being imprisoned for
the course of
two years. And he will continue to express them in the future,
including in
today's debates."
The believer's defense attorney wished for the panel to
be just as free
in their thinking as Christensen while rendering their decision.
Then a second attorney took the floor.
"The whole essence of the case comes down to the
following: a
local religious organization was liquidated and believers
continued to meet
together. Believers are forbidden to meet and the local
religious organization
is liquidated," Irina Krasnikova said.
In her opinion, faith always remains faith. According to
the
constitution, there is freedom of religious confession in
Russia. The Supreme
Court banned a legal entity, but it cannot revoke the
constitution.
"Believers cannot cease to believe after the liquidation
of the
local religious organization. Including meeting together and
tending to the meeting
place. I ask each member of the panel to put himself in
Christensen's place. He
did not commit a crime, he is separated from his family; imagine
what he feels.
In making your decision, be merciful," Krasnikova concluded.
Finally, Christensen himself spoke, through an
interpreter.
"'The more often a lie is repeated, the more it is
believed.' This
sentence was spoken many years ago by one horrible person. I
thought that in
the 21st century such a thing is now impossible. However these
methods are
again being used against me and other Jehovah's Witnesses. In my
case, the lie
is the continuation of the activity of a local religious
organization,"
Christensen said.
He said that he, like other believers, attended worship
services. There
is no crime in that, the Dane thinks.
"I am often asked why they try to take Jehovah's
Witnesses for
extremists. My answer is: I do not know. I also did not hear an
answer to this
question in the court. I am not an extremist. I am a respectable
citizen,"
the Dane noted.
As an example of the peaceful activity of followers of
his religion,
Christensen cited the refusal to use weapons. He said that
during World War II,
German Jehovah's Witnesses, risking their lives, refused to
serve in the
Wehrmacht army. They did not fight on the eastern front and they
did not kill
soviet citizens. Now Jehovah's Witnesses operate freely in 200
countries of the
world. And only in Russia are they extremists.
"Christ once said to his disciples: 'They persecute me
and they
will persecute you.' In the end he himself was condemned and
killed on a false
charge of extremism," Christensen said.
The Dane also noted that while he was sitting in the
SIZO, his
grandmother died. He did not make it to the funeral. Christensen
said that his
grandmother was the first in the family who was interested in
the Bible. She
was a Jehovah's Witness. Christensen believes that God will
resurrect her and
they will meet again in the future. Christensen quoted the Bible
a lot and at
the end of his speech in the debates he declared that God is
always with him
and will never forsake him.
"I ask that you restore truth and return my life to me,"
the
Dane appealed to the judges.
He also added that if the court does not release him, he
still will
continue to fight for his freedom. A negative decision will have
to be
appealed.
With this the judicial session concluded. The next time,
Christensen
will deliver his final word, after which the court will render a
decision. (tr.
by PDS, posted 16 May 2019)
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