Addis Abeba– The Axum District Court has instructed the town’s police to detain and present school officials who allegedly defied its earlier ruling suspending a directive that prohibited female Muslim students from wearing hijabs in schools.
In a warrant issued on 27 January, 2025, the court accused the officials, identified as the 2nd to 5th defendants, of “deliberately violating a clear and legal order,” asserting that their actions “undermine the court’s authority.”
Citing Article 156(1) of the Civil Code, the court emphasized that any defendant in civil litigation who “disrespects and violates a court order” is subject to accountability under applicable criminal provisions.
The court further clarified that the administrative decisions made by the defendants remain suspended until a resolution or alternative order is issued. It warned that failure to uphold this suspension risks “moral and human rights violations against Muslim students.”
The ruling comes after the court’s 14 January decision to suspend a school directive prohibiting female Muslim students from wearing hijabs, citing concerns of potential “irreversible rights violations.” Five schools were summoned to respond to allegations of barring Muslim students from attending classes while wearing the hijab.
The case was initiated by a complaint from the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, which accused the schools of violating Muslim students’ constitutional rights to education and religious freedom. The issue has sparked protests among Muslim students in Axum, who argue that the ban infringes on their religious and educational rights.
On 21 January, thousands of Muslims protested at Romanat Square in Mekelle, denouncing the schools’ refusal to comply with court rulings and directives from the Tigray Regional Education Bureau guaranteeing Muslim female students the right to wear hijabs in classrooms.
The court has now directed the Axum town police to present the school officials in court by 2:00 pm on February 14, 2025. AS
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