Estonian minister: Moscow Patriarchate must be deemed a terrorist organization

Estonia's Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said that he will propose to the Riigikogu declaring the Moscow-based Orthodox church body, the Patriarchate of Moscow, a terrorist organization so that its activities can be banned in Estonia. Photo: Madis Veltman

Estonia's Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said on a television current affairs show on Thursday evening that he will propose to the Riigikogu declaring the Moscow-based Orthodox church body, the Patriarchate of Moscow, a terrorist organization so that its activities can be banned in Estonia.

Laanemets said on the «Esimene stuudio» («First Studio») show of public ETV television that his proposal is based on an expert opinion from the Ministry of the Interior and a recent assessment by the Internal Security Service.

«Considering the entire context, as the minister of the interior, I have no choice but to propose to the Riigikogu that they declare the patriarchate operating in Moscow as engaging in terrorist activities and supporting terrorism, and as a result, the minister of the interior could go to court and propose the termination of the activities of the church organization operating here. This will not affect congregations, does not mean that churches will be closed, but it means that the connection with Moscow will be cut off,» he said.

Bishop Daniel, bishop of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate for Tartu and vicar bishop for Tallinn, said at a press event earlier this week that there's no reason to associate them with the positions of the Moscow Patriarchate. According to him, the various branches of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are not in fact under the direct authority of the Moscow mother church and are independent, which is why the views expressed by Moscow clerics justifying the war cannot be ascribed to the Estonian branch.

Laanemets said that as minister, he has had to summon representatives of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate on four occasions on security issues, but the statement by the Russian religious council in April in favor of the war took the security situation to a new level.