Background
Hagar Lachiri was in court to plead that the man accused of her brother’s death should stand trial for murder and not a lesser offence.
It was a difficult day for the bereaved family, made worse by the court’s attitude towards Hagar’s hijab, the headscarf she chooses to wear as a practising Muslim.
A magistrate took exception to the headscarf before Hagar came into the room, indicating to her that, by law, she could not enter unless she removed it.
Hagar refused to take off her hijab. She was told to leave.
In response, Hagar took legal action, claiming that her rights had been violated. The Belgian courts ultimately rejected her complaint.