The Estonian Orthodox Church is contesting its eviction from its office in Tallinn

The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church has filed a cassation appeal with the Estonian Supreme Court in an attempt to challenge the decision to terminate the lease agreement for the premises housing the office of the Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia. This was reported by the online publication Delfi.

The dispute over the premises located at 64 Pikk Street in Tallinn has been ongoing for quite some time. Previously, the Harju County Court ruled that the decision by the Kesklinn District Administration to terminate the lease was lawful, and in June of this year, the Tallinn Circuit Court upheld the legality of that verdict. Municipal authorities have repeatedly expressed their intention to return the property to the city.

Tallinn City Council members Sander Andla and Henry Arras have also intervened in the case, sending an official request to the mayor to clarify the status of the church’s use of the building. At present, the filing of a cassation appeal allows the organization to continue using the premises until a final decision is issued by the country’s highest court. A date for the start of the case’s consideration in the Supreme Court has not yet been set.

As a reminder, relations between the Estonian authorities and the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church have deteriorated after the country’s Ministry of the Interior required religious organizations to bring their activities into compliance with new legislative requirements by the end of 2024.