DHAKA: A French court has overturned a ban on burkini in Nice, concluding that the decree against the full-body swimwear was illegal because there were no proven risks of disruption to public order.

The administrative court of Nice ruled on Thursday (September 1) that “in the absence of such risks, the emotions and the concerns resulting from terrorist attacks, and especially from the attack on July 14, are insufficient grounds to legally justify the contested ban.”

The court also found that burkinis posed no risk to “hygiene, decency or safety when swimming”, reports the Al Jazeera .

The decision on Thursday follows last week’s ruling by France’s highest administrative court to suspend the bans introduced by about 30 towns, mainly in the southeast.

Nice and several other towns had ignored the ruling and kept their bans in place in the midst of a debate over religious clothing in secular France.

At least 30 fines have been issued in Nice since the burkini ban was introduced.

France’s Human Rights League and an anti-Islamophobia group challenged the ban.

Earlier this week, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said that the bans amount to “a grave and illegal breach of fundamental freedoms” and a “stupid reaction” to recent attacks.

Rupert Colville, the OHCHR spokesman, said the rights agency wanted local officials to ‘immediately’ lift the bans, saying they did not increase security.

BDST: 1114 HRS, SEP 02, 2016
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