Osmanoǧlu and Kocabaş v. Switzerland (application no. 29086/12)

The European Court of Human Rights decided on 10 January 2017 that there had been no violation of Article 9 (right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of tge Eurooeab Convention of Human Rights in the case of Osmanoǧlu and Kocabaş v. Switzerland

The case concerned the refusal of Muslim parents to send their daughters, who had not reached the age of puberty, to compulsory mixed swimming lessons as part of their schooling and the authorities' refusal to grant them an exemption. The Court considered that by refusing to exempt two Muslim pupils from compulsory mixed swimming lessons, the Swiss authorities had given precedence to the children’s obligation to follow the full school curriculum and had not infringed the right to freedom of religion.

• Primary Source

EurActiv, 10.01.17: European court: Swiss Muslim girls must take swimming classes with boys http://www.euractiv.com/section/all/news/european-court-swiss-muslim-girls-must-take-swimming-classes-with-boys/

The Guardian, 10.01.17: ECHR: Swiss Muslim girls must attend mixed-sex swimming lessons https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/10/echr-swiss-muslim-girls-must-attend-mixed-sex-swimming-lessons

BBC News, 10.01.17: Swiss Muslim girls must learn to swim with boys, court rules http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38569428

The New York Times, 10.01.17: Muslim Girls in Switzerland Must Attend Swim Classes With Boys, Court Says https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/world/europe/swiss-muslim-girls-must-attend-swim-classes-with-boys-court-says.html

The Local.ch, 10.01.17: European court rules Muslim girls in Switzerland must take school swimming lessons http://www.thelocal.ch/20170110/echr-rules-muslim-girls-in-switzerland-must-take-school-swimming-lessons

TIME, 10.01.17: Muslim Children in Switzerland Must Attend Mixed Swimming Classes, Court Rules http://time.com/4630442/echr-muslim-swiss-swimming-classes/

Deutsche Welle, 10.01.17: ECHR rules Muslim schoolgirls must take swimming classes in Switzerland http://dw.com/p/2VYgL

Hürriyet Daily News, 10.01.17: Euro Court rules in favor of Switzerland in Turkish parents’ co-ed swimming rejection case http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/euro-court-rules-in-favor-of-switzerland-in-turkish-parents-co-ed-swimming-rejection-case.aspx?pageID=238&nID=108369

Euronews, 10.01.17: ECHR rules mixed swimming is obligatory for Swiss Muslim children http://www.euronews.com/2017/01/10/echr-rules-mixed-swimming-is-obligatory-for-swiss-muslim-children

Euro|Topics: Debates, January 2017: Swimming lessons obligatory for Muslim girls http://www.eurotopics.net/en/172470/swimming-lessons-obligatory-for-muslim-girls

Swissinfo.ch.10.01.17: European court upholds mandatory swimming lessons for Muslim girls http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/integration_european-court-upholds-swimming-lessons-for-muslim-girls-/42823882

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