French court suspends local beach burkini ban after rights group challenge

GENEVA 

A French court on Friday suspended a municipal order banning burkini coverall swimsuits on public beaches in a town near Cannes, ruling that the decree violated fundamental freedoms, according to local media.

The ruling by the administrative court in Nice followed a legal challenge filed by the Human Rights League, which argued the ban unlawfully targeted Muslim women and restricted civil liberties.

The ban specifically mentioned the burkini – swimwear that covers almost all of the body in line with Muslim modesty guidelines – as falling under this category.

The mayor of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, a town on France’s Mediterranean coast, introduced the ban on July 15.

The decree barred beach access to anyone wearing swimwear that “ostentatiously demonstrates the practice of worship and is likely to cause public disorder,” specifically citing the burkini.

Authorities had cited “interreligious cohabitation” tensions and public disturbances during the summer of 2024 as justification for the ban. But the court found that no evidence was provided to support these claims.

The judge ruled the measure “seriously and illegally infringes on the freedom to come and go, freedom of conscience, and personal liberty,” according to BFM TV.

In a statement, the rights group called the ban “targeted and intentional,” saying it sought to exclude Muslim women who wear the burkini for reasons of modesty and faith.

“The burkini does not turn a beach into a mosque,” the group said. “It simply allows women to swim while respecting their beliefs. Refusing their presence is denying equality and criminalizing a peaceful faith.”

France has seen multiple local attempts to ban the burkini in recent years, often citing secularism and public order. Courts have routinely overturned such bans, ruling they violate constitutional rights.

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