Andrew Okhotin has said he has not decided whether to seek a case against the customs officials on bribery charges.

Despite the announcement at last week's trial that the verdict would be handed down after closing statements today, the prosecution and defense also had the opportunity to re-examine a customs agent and bag handler who had testified at trial. A customs specialist, Alexei Petrovich Ionov, was also brought in to give his evaluation of Okhotin's behavior at the airport.

With Alla Konstanovna Tomas, a new prosecutor on the case, mostly silent, Judge Yakovlev led the questioning of the agents in order to gauge how cooperative Okhotin had been when stopped.

Andrei Sergeevich Demakin, the customs agent who first stopped Okhotin as he walked through the airport’s green corridor, recalled Okhotin evading his question about whether he had any money besides the ten dollars he first revealed when asked how much money he was carrying.

Vladimir Vasilievich Dudakov, the bag handler called in to witness the questioning of Okhotin, also said Okhotin had been uncooperative with customs—though when pressed by the judge, he said he could not remember specifically how Okhotin had been belligerent.

Ionov emphasized in his testimony that he believed Okhotin was deliberately deceptive in carrying the $48,000 through the green corridor.

"Not knowing the law does not free you from the responsibility [to obey it]," he said. Okhotin’s U.S. based network of supporters continued to hope for the best yesterday, and struggled to understand what the prosecutors’ sentencing request meant.

Several said that any implication of guilt—conditional or not—was unfair, and some wondered why the judge did not issue a verdict as originally expected.

“That’s good news certainly,” Divinity School Professor David Little said when informed of the day’s events. But Little, who taught Okhotin, added that “there are problems if [Okhotin] is convicted even with a suspended sentence,” noting that it could prevent him from returning to Russia or from retrieving the $48,000.

Divinity School spokesperson Wendy McDowell said that should Okhotin be free to leave the country Friday, he would have no difficulty registering for classes, since registration is not until after Labor Day.

Since Okhotin was arrested on March 29 on his way into Russia, Baptists around the world have been praying for him and offering support.

Okhotin and his family members have questioned whether the Russian government's prosecution of Okhotin is related to his support of Baptists in a country dominated by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Susan Clark, who has helped organize Okhotin’s supporters, said that she would continue her own efforts.

“I’m very encouraged at this point, but I think it’s too early to stop praying,” she said.

A surprise from Okhotin’s brother will have to wait a little longer as well.

David Okhotin brought a bouquet of flowers—wrapped in newspaper to hide them from his brother—to give to Andrew after the judge issued a verdict. David said after the hearing that the Christian tradition of showering those persecuted for their faith with flowers would have to wait a few more days—and that he would have to buy a new bouquet.

--Simon W. Vozick-Levinson contributed to the reporting of this story.

--Staff writer Anne K. Kofol can be reached at kofol@fas.harvard.edu.