Migrant Tales understands that a Kanta-Häme district court ruling acquitted the police and security guards for forcibly removing the hijab of two women in 2017 will be appealed.
The present ruling, which allowed the police and security guards to use force, sends a disturbing message. It messages that the police can use force without considering your religion and rights..
Moreover, such forceful action by the police undermines Muslim’s already low confidence in the police.
The women applying for asylum at the time were forced to take off their hijabs for a picture. They argued that apart from religion, they were taken photos with their hijabs in Helsinki.
The September 30 district court ruling received little mention in the media. Helsingin Sanomat published a story on the matter in 2017. Iltalehti, Yle, and Hämeen Sanomat covered the recent court ruling in their publications.