"The law speaks about statutes and connections. However, the real desire of the Ministry of the Interior is for local Orthodox believers to renounce their religious ties with a church that has existed for over a thousand years," said representatives of the EOC and the monastery. "The church and the monastery are being asked not just to correct the paperwork," said their representative attorney Arthur Knyazev. "In Orthodoxy, one cannot independently rewrite church rules and remain Orthodox. Those who do so renounce the faith they have chosen and considered correct. The Ministry of the Interior is presenting a choice between two impossible options: either you choose another church, or we cease your activities." "The European Convention on Human Rights considers the part of freedom of religion that pertains to a person's beliefs as an absolute right. The state may regulate how faith is expressed publicly. But it has no right to force a person to change their faith. This is exactly what is happening now," Knyazev added. The Grand Chamber of the State Court upheld the law on June 8, interpreting it in such a way that administrative, rather than religious, connections are prohibited. Six out of seventeen judges, including the chair of the State Court, expressed a dissenting opinion and believed that the law does not meet the requirement of legal clarity. "This concept, which 'saved' the law, is not mentioned even once in the law itself," said attorney Steven-Christo Evestus. "At the same time, the Ministry of the Interior has consistently insisted that both administrative and religious ties must be severed. The court's interpretation is one thing, while the actual demand of the ministry is another. According to the ministry's own position, the church and the monastery fall under the statutory prohibition, and it is on this basis that pressure is being applied. Such pressure is unacceptable." "No Estonian authority has established that the church or the monastery has committed any illegal acts," Evestus noted. "There is neither a court ruling, nor an accusation, nor a legal proceeding. There is punishment, but no actions. Our church and monastery have not threatened anyone, cannot threaten anyone, and do not wish to do so. Nevertheless, there is interference in their religious identity." "About 90 nuns live in the monastery, with an average age exceeding sixty years. The nuns have been praying there for over 135 years. They always pray for our Estonia as well. If the prayers of ninety elderly women can shake state security, then the problem is not with the nuns. The problem lies elsewhere," Knyazev said. The church continues to dialogue with the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry did not invite the monastery to a separate meeting. Amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations came into effect on June 27, 2024. The law gives religious organizations six months to bring their statutes, governing bodies, and activities in line with the new requirements. The requirements for clergy came into effect without a transitional period.
