4. RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES While in Estonia, you must follow the Estonian Constitution and laws. Not knowing and thus not following the law does not excuse you from violating them. If you violate laws, you will be punished accordingly. You can find all laws of Estonia in Riigi Teataja www.riigiteataja.ee, where some of the laws have also translated into English and/or Russian. In Estonia, legislation has legal force only in Estonian language. As a temporary resident, you have many of the same rights as permanent residents. According to the Estonian Constitution, everyone residing in Estonia legally has the right to aid when the person is in need: • In old age • In cases of unemployment • In case of emergency In Estonia, no one may be discriminated because of their religion, political views, nationality, race, colour, sex or origin. The incitement of national, racial, religious or political hatred, violence or discrimination is prohibited and punishable in Estonia.
If you have been discriminated in the public space, based on your nationality, race, colour, sex or origin, you can turn to the police.
In cases of discrimination, you can turn to gender equality and equal treatment representative, who monitors the performance of the requirements in the law. Information can be found at www.volinik.ee. You can also report the incident to Estonian Human Rights Centre. In Estonia, everyone can enjoy the right to:
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