Member of the Moscow Patriarchate permanent delegation to the European Union on violations of the human rights of Orthodox believers in Estonia
29.03.2001 · English, Архив 2001
MEMBER OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE PERMANENT DELEGATION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION ON VIOLATIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF ORTHODOX BELIEVERS IN ESTONIA
Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin, member of the Moscow Patriarchate permanent delegation to the European Union, stated that the human rights of the Orthodox believers under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate in Estonia were violated. He spoke at the regional seminar of the Forward, Europe! standing forum of non-governmental organizations in European countries, which took place on March 21 in Stockholm.
The seminar admitted that the removal of legal violations in the countries wishing to join the European Union should be sped up. Mr. T. Jansen, who directs the Committee for Economic and Social Programs of the European Commission, confirmed that the implementation of the European Union’s earlier recommendations for regulating the legal situation in the Baltic countries should be viewed as an indispensable condition for the integration of these states into the united Europe.
At the request of the governmental Radio of Sweden, the present chair of the European Union, Father Paul gave a live interview on the rights of believers in Estonia.
Below is the text of the statement distributed at the seminar in Stockholm:
His Holiness Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church express deep concern for the policy of discrimination that has been pursued for already 8 years now by the Government of the Republic of Estonia towards the Orthodox faithful belonging to the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Over one hundred thousand believers have been deprived of the right to worship property and the right to choose their religious affiliation. For certain political reasons, these citizens have been denied the possibility to register their Church as a legal successor church structure. Since 1993 the ownership rights to all the historical property of the Orthodox Church in Estonia have been transferred to a church organization under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Accordingly, those believers who have chosen to belong canonically to the Moscow Patriarchate are deprived of legal rights to own the worship buildings they used de facto. Over 100.000 citizens, who comprise the majority of the Orthodox believers in Estonia, have found themselves in this situation. It is not only the property rights that are at stake. In fact, the Estonian authorities have grossly violated the fundamental right of citizens to the their own national and religious identity and free choice of their spiritual pastors.
The legal standards of the United Europe guarantee the right to property and free religious choice. “The Charter of the Fundamental Human Rights” being drafted by the European Community as the basis of its legal order forbids any discrimination, including that on ethnic or civil background, language, religion or convictions (Par. 19,1).
The Republic of Estonia, which wishes to join the United Europe, should be demanded to respect the inalienable rights of its citizens in the area of freedom of faith. The process of the legal development of Europe itself will be slowed down if the Republic of Estonia, which continues to commit gross violations of fundamental human rights, is accepted in the European Union in its current legal state.
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