Estonian Orthodox Church and Pühtitsa Convent turn to European Court of Human Rights over church law
The Estonian Orthodox Christian Church and the Pühtitsa Convent have filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights over amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act. The law requires severing ties with the Russian Orthodox Church by 28 December.
The Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC) and the Pühtitsa Convent have taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights over amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act. The law firm Boutique Legal, which represents the church and the convent, announced this on Thursday, 8 October.
The amendments oblige religious associations to bring their activities and documents into line with the new requirements by 28 December. If the connection to the Russian Orthodox Church has not been cut by then, the interior minister intends to petition a court to force the relevant organisations to cease operating.
Lawyers' arguments
Sworn advocate Artur Knyazev argues that the state's demands affect not only administrative links but also the religious identity of believers. In his words, the church and the convent are not merely asking for paperwork to be corrected, and the changes to church rules demanded by the state are incompatible with preserving Orthodox religious identity.
Lawyer Steven-Hristo Evestus noted that on 8 June the Supreme Court left the law in force, interpreting the prohibited connection as administrative rather than religious. According to him, six of the 17 justices, including the Chief Justice, expressed a dissenting opinion and held that the law fails the requirement of legal clarity.
Dialogue with the ministry
The church believes that in practice the Ministry of the Interior is demanding the severing of both administrative and religious ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Representatives of the church and the convent want to challenge these demands in Strasbourg. At the same time, the church continues its dialogue with the ministry, while the Pühtitsa Convent, according to church representatives, has not received a separate invitation to a meeting.
The amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act took effect on 27 June. Religious associations were given six months to bring their statutes, board composition and activities into compliance. The requirements for clergy took effect without a transition period.
