The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church has filed a case in the European Court of Human Rights to challenge a law which could lead to its forced dissolution.
Presented as a “God or the Kremlin” ultimatum by Estonian officials, the new rules require the denomination to cut ties with Moscow by 28th December.
The church was known as the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate until March 2025. Bishops insist administrative changes have been made, but the Interior Ministry has deemed this inadequate as Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is still required to sign off on major decisions.
Patriarch Kirill and the Moscow Patriarchate have been supportive of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Metropolitan Eugene of Tallinn and All Estonia was forced to leave the country in 2024 after officials did not renew his residency permit, deeming him a threat to national security.
Artur Knjazev, lawyer for the Church, said: “What the Interior Ministry actually wants is for local Orthodox believers to renounce their religious ties with a church that has existed for more than a thousand years,” as per public broadcaster ERR.
“The church [is] not simply being asked to amend a document. In Orthodox Christianity, you cannot rewrite the rules of the church yourself and remain Orthodox. Anyone who does so has renounced the faith they have chosen and have considered true until now. The Interior Ministry is offering a choice between two impossible options – choose another church or we will put an end to your current activities.
"The European Convention on Human Rights regards the aspect of religious freedom concerning a person's beliefs as an absolute right. The state may regulate how religion is practiced publicly. It may not force a person to change their faith. That is exactly what is happening now,” he added.
Pühtitsa Convent in Kuremäe has also joined the complaint over the law, which was upheld by Estonia’s Supreme Court in July. Knjazev emphasised that the community has been praying there for 135 years.
“If the prayers of 90 elderly women can undermine national security, then the problem is not with the nuns. The problem lies somewhere else,” he said.
The Convent was accused of spreading a pro-Russian ideology that “blends religion, nationalism, and imperial nostalgia” by Estonian officials in 2025.
In a statement to ERR, Interior Ministry advisor Ringo Ringvee responded: “Freedom of religion is guaranteed in Estonia and will remain so. The state does not interfere in how anyone practices their faith. The Interior Ministry proceeds from the amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act that entered into force in the summer, which prohibit an Estonian religious association from having ties with a religious organization or spiritual leader based in a foreign country whose activities endanger the Estonian state.”
The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church, which has around 150,000 worshippers of largely Russian descent, is not the only Orthodox church in the country. The Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, numbering around 20,000 members of mainly Estonian ethnicity, is tied to Constantinople. It is recognised by the state as the successor to the pre-World War Two Estonian Orthodox Church.