The parliament's committee on the Constitution discussed the law during its Monday session and decided that it needs to be changed. The members of the committee passed a unanimous resolution stating that Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves made the right decision when he vetoed the law.
The law permitting the relocation of monuments dedicated to Soviet soldiers was approved by the parliament but vetoed by the president in late February after it sparked off sharp criticism in Russia, which has accused Tallinn of encouraging Nazism and discrimination against ethnic Russians, and even prompted debate on possible sanctions against Estonia.
But Estonian authorities, using a separate law allowing the reburial of World War II soldiers from "unsuitable places" or "in the public interest" adopted January 10, removed the six-foot high "Bronze Soldier" and 12 tombs to Soviet soldiers from the center of the capital, claiming that Soviet-era memorials have in recent years become rallying points for ethnic Russians and incited clashes with Estonian nationalists.
The removal of the monument from central Tallinn April 27 sparked riots among Russian speakers in the small Baltic state, during which one protester was killed, dozens injured and over 1,000 arrested.
Police used rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters. Media reports in Russia said hundreds of those arrested had been kept at seaport facilities, and television footage showed beatings and protesters demonstrating their injuries and complaining of police brutality.
Estonia denied Russia's accusations and said it had removed the memorial in a bid to ensure public order. The statue and tombs were a reminder of what Estonians call a Soviet occupation and symbols of victory over the Nazis for Russia.
The European Union and other bodies have sided with Estonia in the standoff between the ex-Soviet neighbors, saying Tallinn was within its rights to remove the monument.
Some 50,000 Soviet troops perished in Estonia in 1944 when Russia liberated it from Nazi Germany and regained control of the republic, which many Estonians call Soviet occupation. The bodies are buried in 450 cemeteries and memorials across the country.
