On Thursday, May 16, 2019, the appeal hearing for Dennis Christensen resumed as scheduled. The prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered their closing arguments, and Dennis was able to speak in his defense for nearly an hour. Foreign diplomats and journalists were again present—an encouraging indication that, even though it has been two years since Dennis’ arrest made international news, the world remains keenly interested in his case.

Originally, the hearing was scheduled to last through Friday, May 17. However, the judges announced they would adjourn until Thursday, May 23 at 10 a.m. Dennis will then be granted his last opportunity to appeal to the court before the judges break to deliberate. It is difficult to project whether a decision will be announced by the end of the day on May 23, or if the court will schedule a future date to do so.

We take courage when we see our brothers, such as Dennis Christensen and Sergey Skrynnikov, maintain a positive disposition and express their sincere desire to remain faithful. We feel the same way about our fellow Witnesses in Russia as the apostle Paul felt about the Thessalonians when he was inspired to write: “We ourselves take pride in you among the congregations of God because of your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the hardships that you are suffering.”—2 Thessalonians 1:4.