The court in Strasbourg, France found that the 2011 Belgian law banning clothing that partly or totally covers the face did not violate the right to respect for private and family life nor freedom of religion, and that it did not disproportionately discriminate the Muslim community.
In its ruling, the court argued that the ban, however controversial, was “necessary in a democratic society” – because it seeks to guarantee the conditions of “living together” and the “protection of the rights and freedoms of others.”
“The question whether the full-face veil was accepted in the Belgian public sphere was… a choice of society,” it said in a statement.
The judges also found the sanctions tied to the ban “proportionate”. The main one is a fine, while a prison sentence is reserved for repeat offenders.
The ECHR already upheld a similar ban on full-face Islamic veils in France in 2014.
