Protest rally held in Sarajevo over hijab ban

Several hundred protesters, mostly women, rallied in central Sarajevo on Sunday to voice their discontent with the decision by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (VSTV) to ban the wearing of the hijab, as a religious symbol, for judicial office holders in the country.

The protest was organised by Bosniak non-governmental organisations, and protesters carried a banner saying "Hijab – My Right, My Choice".

"The decision by the VSTV is completely unwarranted. It's not contributing to any prosperity and only unnecessarily disturbs the public and citizens of this country," one of the protesters told the crowd.

Bosniak NGOs are organising similar rallies in other towns as well.

The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also protested against the ban. It says that the wearing of the hijab is a religious obligation for Muslim women and should not be called into question by decisions of the State.

The VSTV adopted the decision in January, arguing that there was no place for religious symbols of any confession in the courts and prosecutors' offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a secular country.

(Hina) vm