Estonia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday began reviewing a petition by President Alar Karis challenging amendments to the Law on Churches and Congregations that restrict religious organizations’ ties to foreign spiritual centers. The court is expected to issue a decision by the end of March, according to the press service of the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC).

The contested amendments, adopted last year, require the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church to sever its canonical links with the Moscow Patriarchate. Parliament (the Riigikogu) passed the measures in autumn 2025 after several attempts and earlier refusals by the president to sign them into law.

President Karis argues that the amendments disproportionately limit freedom of religion and freedom of association guaranteed by Estonia’s Constitution. He has said the provision banning “dangerous ties” with foreign religious centers is drafted too broadly and lacks legal clarity, potentially enabling arbitrary enforcement.

At the open court hearing, representatives of the government and parliament presented their positions alongside religious organizations affected by the law, including the Estonian Church and the Pühtitsa Stavropegial Monastery. Church representatives maintained that the legislation is effectively aimed at the Church because of its canonical relationship with the Moscow Patriarchate and compels changes to ecclesiastical subordination—an area they argue lies beyond the state’s authority.

The government, for its part, insisted that the law is intended to safeguard national security and prevent external influence over religious associations in Estonia. Officials said the measures do not interfere with doctrine, but rather seek to end financial, administrative, and other forms of dependence on foreign centers deemed a threat to national sovereignty.

The Supreme Court’s constitutional review panel noted fundamental disagreements in the case, particularly regarding legal certainty and the proportionality of the restrictions. As a result, the panel decided to refer the matter to the full bench of the Supreme Court, comprising all 19 justices.

Under the law, religious organizations must amend their statutes and governance structures if they are subordinate to foreign centers classified as dangerous to the state. Failure to comply could lead to court proceedings, including the forced termination of activities.

Tensions surrounding the Estonian Church intensified in May 2024, when Estonia’s parliament declared the Russian Orthodox Church an institution supporting Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. Subsequently, then–Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said he expected the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate—now the ECOC—to break ties with the Russian Church and recognize the Moscow Patriarchate’s activities as heretical.

Amid mounting pressure, Metropolitan Eugene of Tallinn was forced to leave the diocese and depart for Russia after his residence permit was not renewed. Representatives of the Estonian Orthodox Church have since raised concerns about violations of believers’ rights at the United Nations, while support for the Church has been voiced by representatives of local Orthodox Churches around the world.