UN Experts Raise Alarm Over Measures Targeting Estonian Orthodox Church

United Nations. Photo: 2021-2025.state.gov

GENEVA — United Nations human-rights experts have voiced concern over recent legislative and administrative measures taken by Estonia that they say may unlawfully restrict freedom of religion and minority rights, particularly affecting the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC).

In a joint statement, the experts cited amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, a May 2025 court ruling, and public statements questioning the EOCC’s canonical affiliation. They warned these steps could stigmatize the country’s largest Christian denomination, which serves both ethnic Estonians and a large Russian-speaking community.

The experts also raised concerns about the withdrawal of public funding, exclusion from government consultations, restrictive residence-permit decisions for clergy, and reliance on undisclosed security assessments. They emphasized that national security is not, by itself, a permissible ground for limiting freedom of religion under international human rights law.

Additional concerns included the abrupt termination of church leases, increased insurance costs for religious institutions, and the removal of senior clergy without adequate safeguards.

The experts welcomed President Alar Karis’s decision to refer the legislation to Estonia’s Supreme Court and urged authorities to pause related actions pending constitutional review.

Previously, the UOJ reported on the Estonian Parliament's move to ban the Estonian Orthodox Church 

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