College in Novocherkassk announces conditions for girls expelled for hijabs to return to studies

Five female students expelled for wearing hijabs can resume their studies if they refuse to wear clothes with religious attributes, the bosses of the Novocherkassk Medical College have stated. By expelling the girls, the managers of the educational establishment had violated the students’ rights, Ruslan Nagiev, a lawyer, asserts.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 20 it became known that the teachers' council of the Novocherkassk Medical College had expelled five students, including those from Dagestan and Chechnya, for wearing hijabs.

The expelled girls may resume studies, if they refuse wearing hijabs – that is, if they comply with the internal regulations of the establishment, Igor Shikulya, the acting principal director of the Novocherkassk Medical College, has announced.

"It is forbidden to wear clothes with religious attributes in the college," the “Kommersant” has quoted him as saying.

He has added that the college administration is respectful to all the students regardless of their religion.

In his turn, Ruslan Nagiev, the president of the Russian National Lawyers’ Association, believes that the college administration had violated the students’ rights by restricting, in particular, their right to receive education.

Mariam Alieva, a blogger, has posted a petition on the “Change.org” portal against the ban on wearing hijabs in educational establishments. She has noted that the Constitution of the Russian Federation secures the freedom of religion for citizens. The petition has already collected more than 2000 signatures.