Estonia bans entry to Russian Patriarch Kirill
Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna today once again implemented the Magnitsky list, prohibiting entry to Estonia for 58 individuals, including Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and nine persecutors and abductors of human rights defender Vladimir Kara-Murza, as reported on the official website of Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Minister, these people have been barred from entry due to their involvement in serious human rights violations or their facilitation of such violations.
"Patriarch Kirill is one of the largest bearers and disseminators of Putin's ideology," said the head of the Foreign Ministry, "It was long overdue for him to be added to the blacklist. He has justified and inflamed the war against Ukraine".
Margus Tsahkna stated that people who support Russia's overt actions in Ukraine are not welcome in Estonia.
"I call on all countries to introduce a ban on entry for supporters and perpetrators of Russia's heinous crimes".
In April last year, the European Parliament already adopted a resolution condemning the role of the Patriarch in Russia's war against Ukraine, and the non-governmental organisation "Human Rights Without Borders" appealed to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to hold Patriarch Kirill accountable for justification, support and instigation of the war.
The entry ban also applies, in particular, to the nine persecutors and abductors of Kara-Murza, who are not yet subject to EU sanctions, and to those involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky.
"Estonia believes that the persecutors and abductors of Kara-Murza should be included in the international human rights sanctions regime," Tsahkna said.
"We will continue to work on the unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners in Russia, and bringing the organisers of the repressions to account".
The list has been reviewed, as the entry ban, established by the Republic's government order in 2018, had expired, but there is no information that anyone on the list had been held criminally accountable.
"At the same time, we added to the list those who seriously violate human rights and those who support them, who are unwelcome in Estonia," said Tsahkna.
Recall that previously, the pro-Russian government of Hungary several times blocked EU sanctions against Russian Patriarch Kirill.
Sanctions were imposed in Ukraine against 22 individuals, Russian citizens, who, under the guise of clergy, support Putin's policy of terror and genocide.