A group of Muslim asylum seekers in May 2017 charged seven police and security guards with assault and misconduct in the line of duty when they forced the women to take off their hijabs, according to Yle.
Apart from the questionable action of the police, it is interesting to note that the court case is happening today, or over five years ago when the incident took place. Moreover, the incident occurred shortly after over 30,000 asylum seekers came to Finland in 2015.
Migrant Tales has documented numerous cases of the poor treatment of asylum seekers by the police and staffers at asylum reception centers.
Even if the women objected, citing their religion, the police forced them to take their hijabs off.
“According to the prosecutor, the women were shouting and screaming, and the accused, among other things, pushed them chest first against the wall,” writes Yle. “Finally, the defendants took off the women’s scarves and took the pictures without them.”
The actions of the police caused injuries to the women. These included headaches, scarring, and redness all over their bodies.
The defendants claim they are innocent of any wrongdoing.
“It is not the policy of the police to question the interpretation of the law contained in instructions issued and transmitted by the National Police Board [of Finland],” the defense said in a written reply.
The Kanta-Häme District Court expects to pass sentence in autumn.
There are several cases where Muslim women have won suits against the police for removing their hijab.
A story from 2020: UK airport police admits wrongdoing in forcing Muslim woman to remove hijab.
In a settlement in 2020, the New York Police Department can no longer force Muslim women to remove hijabs in mug shots.
Thank you @FlyAbdulkarim for the heads-up.