Axum court dismisses case against schools over hijab ban; students and advocates decry rights violations
In response, the Axum District Court issued a warrant on January 27, ordering the detention of school officials accused of defying the court’s ruling. The court stated that their actions “undermine the court’s authority.”
The Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council has announced that the Axum District Court has closed the case against schools accused of denying Muslim female students entry for wearing hijabs, ruling that the matter should be handled through ‘mediation or administrative proceedings’ and stating that it has ‘no authority’ to escalate the case to a higher court.
Haji Mohammed Kahsay, Secretary of the Islamic Affairs Council in Tigray, said the ruling came after a judge who had previously suspended the hijab ban on January 14 was removed from his position and replaced. “The judge who issued the directive allowing students to wear their hijabs was replaced by another judge,” he said.
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According to him, after the reassignment, they had requested the district court to transfer the case to the zonal court, but the new judge instead closed the file on February 27, 2025.
Muslim students in Axum town, located in the Central Zone of Tigray, have been protesting the hijab ban, arguing that it has barred them from attending school and violated their constitutional rights to education and religious freedom. The case was initially brought to court by the Tigray Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, which argued that the ban contravened these rights.
On January 14, the Axum District Court suspended the school directive banning the hijab, warning of “irreversible rights violations.” Despite this ruling, students say they continued to be denied entry to their schools. This led to further protests, culminating in a demonstration by thousands in Mekelle on January 21.
In response, the Axum District Court issued a warrant on January 27, ordering the detention of school officials accused of defying the court’s ruling. The court stated that their actions “undermine the court’s authority.”
However, students say they remain unable to attend classes, and despite calls from community members, including six civil society organizations in Tigray, to enforce the court’s ruling, they report that the situation remains unchanged and see no further legal options with the case now closed.
Mubareke Beyan, who has been following the case and coordinated the protests in Mekelle, described the situation as “both immoral and illegal.” He stated that “284 Muslim female students have been barred from attending school” despite legal decisions affirming their right to wear hijabs.
One student, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said, “Since October 2024, we haven’t been able to attend classes properly. Until December 18, we were allowed in some days and denied on others. Then, after mid-term exams, we were completely barred.” She added that while many students and teachers supported them, “a few teachers and school principals have been harassing us.”
Parents have also condemned the situation. Mubareke Beyan, a concerned parent, called the ongoing denial of education “illegal,” stating that “despite decisions by both the court and the regional education bureau, the city administration and education bureau have rejected them.” He alleged that local officials are disregarding legal verdicts due to their “connections with other officials in the city and the region.”
Another student preparing for national exams expressed frustration, saying, “Despite the decision to allow our return to school, no one has enforced the rule here in Axum.” She explained that students had to register for exams online at hotels because they were not allowed on school grounds while wearing hijabs.
The student also reported arrests and physical abuse. She said that on December 14, attempts to enter school compounds were met with police intervention.
“Around 20 female students who tried to enter were detained for the entire day before being released on bail,” she said. She claimed that detained students from Kindeya Elementary School, Alumnae High School, Kedamawi Minilik, and Axum High School were also “physically assaulted at the police station.”
“We have tried to resolve this through discussions with the mayor, education bureau, security office, and the Office of Islamic Affairs, but no solution has been reached,” the student said.
“We are now at home, denied our constitutional right to education,” she emphasized, pointing out that Muslim female students in other Tigrayan cities, including Mekelle, Adwa, Shire, and Adigrat, are allowed to wear hijabs in school.
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