France breached an international rights treaty when it barred a woman from wearing a headscarf while she studied at a school, the UN Human Rights Committee has said.
Naima Mezhoud, now 45, was due to train as a management assistant at a course held in a state secondary school where teenagers are prohibited by law from wearing the hijab.
She was on a professional training course for adults in 2010. She underwent an interview and entrance test.
But the headmaster of Langevin Wallon high school in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris refused to let her enter because of a ban on wearing religious symbols in public education establishments.
In 2004, France banned the wearing of hijabs and other religious symbols in state schools.
Preventing the woman from wearing a headscarf broke the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the committee said.
It said that barring her from "participating in her continuing education course while wearing a headscarf constitutes a restriction on her freedom of religion in violation of the treaty".
The committee's decision was adopted in March but was sent to the woman's lawyer on Wednesday.
The French Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The possible ramifications of the ruling were not immediately clear.
Freedom law expert Nicolas Hervieu, of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, said that according to legal precedent, it was unlikely that France would comply with the committee's decision.
The country is home to one of Europe’s largest Muslim minorities. For years, France has introduced laws designed to protect its strict form of secularism, known as “laicité,” which President Emmanuel Macron has said is under threat from Islamism.
Some Muslim associations and human rights groups have said those laws target Muslims, chip away at democratic protections and leave them vulnerable to abuse.
Ms Mezhoud approached the committee after she lost a series of appeals in French courts.
Her lawyer, Sefen Guez Guez, said the decision showed that international human rights institutions were critical of French policies regarding Islam.
"French institutions will have to comply with the UN decision," he said.
In theory, France now has six months to financially compensate Ms Mezhoud and offer her the opportunity to take the vocational course.
The country also must take steps to avoid similar breaches of international law in the future.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
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Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The%20specs
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Elvis
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