French ban on full-face Islamic veil violates human rights - U.N. panel

FILE PHOTO: A women, wearing a niqab despite a nationwide ban on the Islamic face veil, gives a phone call outside the courts in Meaux, east of Paris, September 22, 2011. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Committee said on Tuesday that France's ban on the niqab, the full-face Islamic veil, was a violation of human rights and called on it to review the legislation.

France had failed to make the case for its ban, the committee said, and gave Paris 180 days to report back to say what actions it had taken.