An Austrian court rules that a ski resort hotel’s ban on burkinis is discriminatory, according to reporting from multiple outlets. The decision concerns an alpine hotel that refuses to let two Muslim women wear a full-body bathing suit. The court finds the restriction unlawful because it targets a form of clothing associated with Muslim religious practice.
The case is politically sensitive in Austria, where debates over Muslim dress in public spaces have intensified amid rising support for far-right parties. While Austrian law does not explicitly ban Muslim dress for women and girls over 14 in general terms, legal restrictions in effect already limit certain face-covering garments such as the burqa and niqab. The court’s ruling treats the burkini differently, concluding that the hotel’s blanket prohibition is not justified by those broader legal limits.
Together, the sources describe a court decision that distinguishes between permitted and restricted clothing categories under Austrian law and holds the hotel responsible for discriminatory treatment of the plaintiffs.
