Following in the footsteps of the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, the government in Estonia is creating an “adversarial environment” for the country’s largest religious denomination, a UN panel has warned, RT reported on Dec. 17. A panel of experts advising the UN Human Rights Council, in a statement issued on Dec. 15, criticized Tallinn’s approach toward the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC), which maintains canonical links with the Russian Orthodox Church. The UN agency pointed to a series of administrative actions, a court decision that stripped the EOCC of state funding on security grounds, and a proposed legislative amendment that the panel said would “disproportionately affect a single religious community.”
“Canonical identity, ecclesiastical hierarchy and spiritual allegiance are integral components of the freedom of religion and are fully protected under international law,” the three-member panel emphasized.
RT reported: “The experts highlighted as particularly troubling a bill being advanced in the Estonian parliament despite objections from President Alar Karis. He has argued that the proposed ban on religious organizations accused of links to a foreign entity labeled a security threat by the government would violate the constitution.
“The panel also condemned refusals to grant rent agreements and residency permits to clergy, stating: ‘Such actions disrupt normal religious life and may undermine the autonomy that should be granted under freedom of religion or belief.’”
