President of Estonia refuses to sign law banning the Estonian Church

The President of Estonia believes the Church ban contradicts the Constitution. Photo: rus.err

Estonian President Alar Karis has refused to sign a law passed by the parliament that sought to amend the Law on Churches and Congregations, directly affecting the interests of the Estonian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The president declared that the proposed amendments contradict the Estonian Constitution.

“While the Moscow Patriarchate undermines the sovereignty and democracy of states, the current version of this amendment contradicts Articles 40, 48, and 11 of the Constitution, disproportionately restricting freedom of association and religion,” the president stated in an official press release.

In Karis's view, “an ambiguous ban on foreign connections will lead to legal disputes and could create a situation where freedoms of all associations, including political parties, may also be restricted.”

The head of state stressed that existing legislation already provides adequate legal tools to monitor religious associations. “The issue is not a lack of legal means, but how they are used. If necessary, existing instruments should be applied more actively,” the president noted.

Karis reminded the public that the country’s Criminal Code defines treason as a crime, which includes hostile influence and spreading disinformation in support of a foreign organization.

“The Constitution should be interpreted to mean that a mere designation of 'foreign leadership' is not sufficient grounds to ban an association. Such a ban, due to its vagueness alone, would have an inappropriate chilling effect on democratic society,” the president said.

As a result, the bill will be returned to the Estonian parliament for revision and alignment with the Constitution.

Despite the president’s decision, Minister of the Interior Igor Taro stated that the issue of limiting “hostile foreign influence” on churches will remain on the agenda. “In any case, we cannot allow religious communities in Estonia to be led by hostile regimes and organizations that support aggression,” the minister emphasized.

As a reminder, the Estonian parliament had previously passed amendments aimed at restricting the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate. President Karis’s decision has temporarily delayed the enforcement of these changes.

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