🕊️ JPTi Welcomes Presidential Veto in Estonia and Calls for Restoration of Metropolitan Evgenii’s Rights
- Intern JPTi
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
On 3 July 2025, the President of the Republic of Estonia, H.E. Alar Karis, exercised his second constitutional veto against the Churches and Congregations (Amendment) Act (Draft Law No. 570 UA). Justice pour Tous Internationale (JPTi) commends this principled decision, which upholds religious freedom, constitutional legality, and pluralistic democracy.
📜 While this veto halts the formal enactment of discriminatory legislation, serious violations remain unresolved—most urgently, the ongoing exclusion of Metropolitan Evgenii, the canonical leader of the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC), who has been denied legal residence and re-entry since February 2024 under opaque and disproportionate procedures.
🔔 “President Karis’s decision offers hope to affected communities,” said Sharof Azizov, Executive Director of JPTi. “But justice will remain incomplete so long as Metropolitan Evgenii is not restored to his rightful place. The dignity of Estonia’s Orthodox Christian minority—and the country’s international reputation—now depend on what comes next.”
⚖️ JPTi respectfully calls on the President of Estonia to facilitate the immediate lifting of the entry ban, restore the residence permit, and ensure the dignified return of Metropolitan Evgenii. These steps are essential for the EOCC to resume its full liturgical and institutional life in accordance with its canonical identity and the rights of its faithful.
📢 JPTi also urges the United Nations Special Procedures, international partners, and the broader human rights community to remain seized of the situation. The case reflects not only a crisis of religious liberty but a test of Europe’s democratic resilience in the face of growing pressures against minority faiths.
📰 Read our full press release in English and Russian here:
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