Estonian court rejects Zoya Anatolievna Paliamar's appeal against the revocation of her residence permit

The Tallinn Administrative Court has rejected Zoja Palämar's appeal against the decision of the Police and Border Guard Board to revoke her residence permit in Estonia and ban her from entering Schengen countries for ten years, Baltia Portal reports.

The court examined the circumstances of the case and concluded that the decision of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) was made in accordance with the law and that there was no error in the exercise of discretion. Palyamar based her complaint on references to freedom of expression and argued that her cooperation with certain pro-Russian non-profit organizations, which served as the basis for the revocation of her residence permit, was purely humanitarian in nature.

However, in the Department's view, Palyamar's actions posed a threat to state security. The Court noted that the PPA has broad powers to make decisions in such situations and the revocation of the residence permit was based on sufficient evidence.

The department analyzed Palyamar's social media postings and her participation in rallies and concluded that they posed a threat to state security.

The court's decision did not take effect and is subject to appeal.

In June 2023, the Police and Border Guard Board, at the suggestion of the Security Police (KaPo), revoked Zoë Palämar's residence permit in Estonia. She was also banned from entering Schengen countries for ten years. At the time, Palyamar, who is stateless, was in the Russian Federation.

The CaPo explained that the residence permit is canceled for security reasons, if there are reasons to assume a threat to the constitutional order and to prevent possible future crimes.

As a reminder, on June 8, 2023, around 3 p.m. Moscow time, Zoya Anatolievna Paliamar, a resident of Estonia, entered Russia to visit a sick classmate who was in a hospital in St. Petersburg. Zoya Anatolievna, who has the civil status of a stateless person in the Republic of Estonia, was confronted with a despicable and cowardly act of revenge, both against her personally and aimed at intimidating the Russian-speaking population of Estonia.

Shortly after arriving in St. Petersburg, Zoya Anatolievna received a call from an Estonian police officer who informed her that her residence permit had been revoked and her entry to Estonia and the Schengen area was banned for ten years. The reason for this decision, according to the decision of the Estonian police “On invalidation of the residence permit of a long-term resident” (Pikaajalise elaniku elamisloa kehtetuks tunnistamise otsus) received by e-mail, According to the intelligence service, Zoya Anatolievna poses a threat to the public security of the Republic of Estonia due to her volunteer activities and participation in various events, such as helping Donbass since 2014, participating in the Immortal Regiment marches from 2014 to 2020, helping Estonian Orthodox parishes, and delivering humanitarian aid and gifts to children in orphanages and veterans of the Great Patriotic War.