The Russian Foreign Ministry announced political pressure on the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate in Moldova and Estonia

Brief summary by RIA AI

In Moldova and Estonia, political pressure is being exerted on the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Politicians are interfering in canonical law and exerting pressure on the internal religious sphere, which is a violation of the right to freedom of religion.

The Russian Federation builds relations between the state and denominations in accordance with a policy of non-interference.

GENEVA, Sep 9 – RIA Novosti. Active political pressure is being exerted in Moldova and Estonia on the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate, stated Mikhail Melekh, Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation on Ensuring the Right to Freedom of Religion.

"Undoubtedly, pressure on the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate is being carried out in Moldova. So far, this manifests in the form of political pressure. But let us also not forget about the Baltic states, in particular Estonia, where direct legislative pressure is taking place in order to force the Estonian Orthodox Church to sever ties with the Moscow Patriarchate," Melekh told Russian journalists in Geneva.

According to the special representative, politicians are interfering in canonical law, and pressure is being exerted on the internal religious sphere.

"This, from our point of view, is an indisputable violation of the right to freedom of religion," he said.

At the same time, Melekh noted that the Russian Federation, for its part, builds relations between the state and denominations in accordance with a policy of non-interference.