The coalition agreement of the Reform Party, Isamaa and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) aims to prohibit citizens of Russia and Belarus from owning guns in Estonia.
"The weapons permits of citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus will be repealed and new permits will not be issued," the coalition agreement's chapter on broad-based national defense reads.
Lauri Läänemets, head of SDE and Estonia's incoming interior minister, told ERR on Friday that in addition to repealing the gun permits of Russian and Belarusian citizens, those of everyone who have expressed hostility toward Estonia and Ukraine should be looked at.
In a letter to the interior minister, the gun owners' association pointed out that Estonia had 1,300 Russian citizens with a weapons permit and registered firearm(s).
Conservative People's Party (EKRE) MP Anti Poolamets said that EKRE believes Russian citizens' weapons permits should be repealed.
Isamaa MP Tarmo Kruusimäe said that Estonia lacks the capacity for the interior minister's vision of a case-by-case approach to gun owners.
The current rules state people who have committed crimes cannot own a weapon until their criminal record has been reset. »