MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The case concerned a ban introduced by the Pepinster, Dison and Verviers municipalities in 2008 and challenged in court by Fouzia Dakir, a Belgian national and a Muslim who wears the niqab, a veil that covers the entire face except for the eyes.
"The court found in particular that the ban imposed by the joint by-law of municipalities in the Vesdre police area could be regarded as proportionate to the aim pursued, namely the preservation of the conditions of ‘living together’ as an element of the ‘protection of the rights and freedoms of others," the court said in a press release.
The ban, according to the court, could be regarded as "necessary" in a democratic society, the statement added.
Belgium is not the only European country which bans full-body or full-face veils. France, Bulgaria, Switzerland and the Netherlands have banned wearing burqas, which are non-obligatory veils for women that cover the body and the face. In December 2016, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also called for the introduction of a similar ban.
