The Latest: Amnesty cheers end of French burkini bans

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the ruling by France’s top administrative court on burkini bans (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

Amnesty International is praising a French court decision against bans of burkini swimsuits, calling such decrees invasive and discriminatory.

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director, said in a statement Friday: “By overturning a discriminatory ban that is fuelled by and is fuelling prejudice and intolerance, today’s decision has drawn an important line in the sand.”

Several French towns banned the burkini for reasons including security and fears of public disorder. France’s Council of State ruled Friday that a burkini ban in one Riviera town is not justified and violates several fundamental rights.

Many human rights groups denounced the bans, which caused shock outside French borders.

“Invasive and discriminatory measures such as these restrict women’s choices and are an assault on their freedoms,” Dalhuisen said. “The enforcement of these bans leads to abuses and the degrading treatment of Muslim women and girls.”

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3:30 p.m.

A human rights lawyer says the decision by France’s top administrative court to overturn a ban on burkini swimsuits should set a legal precedent for the whole country.

Lawyer Patrice Spinosi, representing the Human Rights League, told reporters that other mayors who have banned burkinis must conform to Friday’s decision regarding the town of Villeneuve-Loubet. He also said women who have already received fines can protest them based on Friday’s decision.

“It is a decision that is meant to set legal precedent,” he said. “Today all the ordinances taken should conform to the decision of the Council of State. Logically the mayors should withdraw these ordinances. If not legal actions could be taken” against those towns.

“Today the state of law is that these ordinances are not justified. They violate fundamental liberties and they should be withdrawn.”

Human Rights League was among the groups that brought the lawsuit against the town of Villeneuve-Loubet, saying the orders infringe basic freedoms.

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3:25 p.m.

The mayor of Sisco in northern Corsica says he won’t lift his ban on the burkini despite a ruling by France’s top administrative court regarding a similar ban in another town.

Ange-Pierre Vivoni had banned the burkini after an Aug. 13 clash on a beach in Sisco.

He told BFM-TV Friday: “Here the tension is very, very, very strong and I won’t withdraw it.”

He conceded he doesn’t know whether a woman was actually wearing a burkini the day a clash occurred that set a group of sunbathers of North African origin, from another town, against villagers from Sisco.

It took days to untangle the events leading to the violence that many immediately assumed was over a burkini siting.

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3:10 p.m.

France’s top administrative court has overturned a town burkini ban amid shock and anger worldwide after some Muslim women were ordered to remove body-concealing garments on French Riviera beaches.

The ruling by the Council of State Friday specifically concerns a ban in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, but the binding decision is expected to set a legal precedent for all the 30 or so French resort municipalities that have issued similar decrees.

Lawyers for two human rights groups challenged the legality of the ban to the top court, saying the orders infringe basic freedoms and that mayors have overstepped their powers by telling women what to wear on beaches.

Mayors had cited concern about public order after deadly Islamic extremist attacks this summer, and many officials have argued that burkinis oppress women.

Lawyer Patrice Spinosi, representing the Human Rights League, told reporters that the decision should set a precedent, and that other mayors should conform to it. He also said women who have already received fines can protest them based on Friday’s decision.

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10:05 a.m.

France’s highest administrative court is considering whether it’s legal for towns to ban body-covering burkini swimsuits, which have become a symbol of tensions around the place of Islam in secular France.

After human rights groups challenged a local burkini ban, the Council of State is scheduled to issue a ruling Friday afternoon.

At a hearing Thursday, lawyers for the rights groups argued that the bans are feeding fear and infringe on basic freedom. Mayors who have banned burkinis cite concern about public order after deadly Islamic extremist attacks this summer, and many officials argue that burkinis oppress women.

The bans have divided France’s government and society and drawn anger abroad, especially after images circulated online showing police appearing to force a Muslim woman to take off her tunic.