Maria Zakharova: "Pressure on the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church grossly violates the rights of Estonian residents"

Traditionally, The Moscow Post also had the opportunity to ask its own question. This time, our publication was interested in the egregious situation in Estonia, where pressure is exerted on religious institutions and believers belonging to the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

A few days ago, Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets visited the Pyukhtitsky Assumption Stavropegic Convent of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The purpose of the visit was to clarify the position of the Estonian government regarding the direct subordination of the monastery to the Russian Orthodox Church. In fact, the rector was offered, in fact, to break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church and change jurisdiction. What is this, if not pressure and manifestation of Russophobic policy on the part of the Estonian state?

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, such behavior is, in fact, direct threats to the closure of the monastery if it maintains its connection with the Russian Orthodox Church. Note that in the monastery itself, Mr. Läänemets was explained that the Charter of the monastery stated that it could not change jurisdiction.

Answering this question, Maria Zakharova noted that cases of such pressure in Estonia are not isolated: simultaneously with these threats, other clergymen in other parishes of the Estonian Orthodox Church literally twist their arms. In addition to the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Estonian officials are also engaged in a lower rank.

According to her, this is nothing more than attempts by the power department to directly intervene in the internal affairs of a church, religious organization, to impose political ideology, including through intimidation, under pain of liquidating parishes. The Russian Foreign Ministry considers this categorically unacceptable. Not to mention the fact that this is a violation of the laws and all international obligations of Estonia itself.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Tallinn grossly violates the rights of Estonian residents to freedom of conscience and religion with its line. Russia constantly raises the question of violations, including in this country, of the rights of our compatriots, religious and international organizations. What is happening in Estonia now is exactly the opposite of what it, as a state, sought when declaring its political course.

"Claimed democracy, freedom, human rights... And they received a dictatorship, an administrative-command system, the collapse of all ideas about human rights, "the diplomat concluded.

We will remind, earlier the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia Lauri Läänemets made a proposal to recognize the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate as a terrorist organization. This, he said, will allow the government to ban the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called this idea a manifestation of mental ill health.

The most egregious situation with pressure on the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has developed in Ukraine, where property is taken from the UOC, expelled from spiritual monasteries, and criminal cases are illegally brought against them. Earlier, international organizations also paid attention to this situation - however, there were no consequences for the Kyiv regime.