UN experts expressed concern on Monday about legislative and administrative measures taken by the Estonian state against the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC), stating that these actions may amount to impermissible restrictions on minority rights and freedom of religion or belief.

The warning was issued by a group of UN Special Rapporteurs, who highlighted a series of steps taken by Estonian authorities, including amendments to the country’s Churches and Congregations Act, the withdrawal of public funding, and the termination of property leases, that disproportionately target the country’s largest Christian denomination. The church is a major institution for Estonia’s Russian-speaking minority.

The two sides in this dispute, the Estonian state and the EOCC, with canonical ties to the Moscow Patriarchate, are locked in a conflict that appears to pit national security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the protection of religious freedom.

In their official statement, the Special Rapporteurs emphasized that international law sets a high bar for any state intervention in religious affairs. They stated: “National security is not a permissible ground for restricting freedom of religion or belief… Such actions disrupt normal religious life and may undermine the autonomy that should be granted under freedom of religion or belief.”

Consequently, the experts hold that Estonia’s measures may violate its obligations under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. They called for a halt to all targeted actions pending a constitutional review by Estonia’s Supreme Court, which was requested by the country’s president.

The intervention by UN experts is a non-binding diplomatic measure.