Valery Fadeyev, head of Russia’s Human Rights Council, proposed that the government consider banning niqabs, a traditional Muslim veil covering the face except for the eyes, in Russia. Fadeyev made this proposal in an interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta on May 20, focusing on extremism risks in a multi-ethnic society.
He noted that face coverings are banned in several Central Asian countries and plans to discuss potential measures in Russia with Muslim community representatives at a regional level.
"I think niqabs should be banned in Russia," Fadeyev stated.
He identified the emergence of enclaves as a significant migration-related problem in Russia, noting that these enclaves form as migrants gather in specific areas. He highlighted the issue of law enforcement becoming ineffective in such enclaves, citing examples from France and England.
“They are not created on purpose; migrants are just attracted to each other and prefer to live in certain areas and those who are richer buy apartments there. The main problem is that the law stops working in enclaves as we see in the examples of France and England. And this problem can be solved only by using tough methods. You can, for example, place quotas on the purchase of apartments in certain areas so that migrants do not accumulate based on nationality. But this issue requires discussion, it is important not to violate human rights,” Russian human rights official said.
Fadeyev’s proposal elicited varied responses. Eva Merkacheva, a member of Russia’s Presidential Human Rights Council, supported the initiative, referencing the European Court of Human Rights upholding of a ban on burqas and niqabs in public in several EU states.
However, Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Labor Committee, suggested that any such measures should be discussed privately with Muslim groups and local authorities. Russian MP Ildar Gilmutdinov argued that a radical ban could worsen the situation, advocating for discussions through religious organizations and federal agencies.
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