Not a single violation of St Gallen's burqa ban
Canton St Gallen's burqa ban has never been implemented since it was introduced five years ago.
The public prosecutor's office has not yet received any complaint, told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
In the last five years, no one has been fined for wearing a burqa, a niqab or a similar item of clothing in canton St Gallen, despite the ban. This was stated by the cantonal police and public prosecutor's office at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency.
+Swiss plan fines for those breaking ‘burqa ban’
Voters in Canton St Gallen voted in favour of a burqa ban five years ago. On September 23, 2018, they supported this with a vote of 66.7%. The ban came into effect on January 1, 2019.
Proponents of the ban said it would promotes equality between men and women and will help fight against radicalisation of Islam.
+‘The burka initiative defends the dignity of women’
At the time of the vote, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the political campaign was characterised by xenophobia masquerading as emancipation for women.
“Vague justifications on how the wearing of face coverings would be a threat to safety, health or the rights of others cannot be considered a legitimate reason for such an invasive restriction of fundamental freedoms,” the OHCHR said in a statement.
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