UN criticized ban on burqa introduced in Switzerland

The results of the referendum held in Switzerland last Sunday, during which citizens approved a legislative initiative to impose a ban on hiding their faces in public places, drew sharp criticism from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In a commentary, the official representative of this department, Ravina Shamdasani, said that discrimination against Muslim women is now sanctioned by Swiss law, and this is “deeply regrettable”, writes the Russian edition of Vzglyad.

In her opinion, the public political campaign before the referendum had “xenophobic overtones”. As a result, Switzerland joined “a small number of countries where active discrimination against Muslim women is now mandated by law,” and “this is deeply regrettable,” said an OHCHR official.

“Women should not be forced to cover their faces, but at the same time, the legal prohibition to cover their faces will restrict the freedom of women to declare their religion or beliefs, and it has a broad impact on their human rights,” Shamdasani said in his statement to TASS.

Earlier in Switzerland, a referendum was held on whether you can hide your face in public places. Residents supported a legislative initiative prohibiting it