Barber Merete Hodne has been sentenced to pay a fine of 10,000 crowns for having refused a woman with headscarf access to her hairdressing salon, the counsel for the defence informs.The verdict will be appealed.
Hodne also has to cover legal costs.
– My client is not surprised by the court’s decision. Now we will take a closer look at the decision in the coming days.
However, Hodne has expressed, that she is not going to accept the court’s decision and that she wishes to appeal it, counsel for the defence, Linda Ellefsen Eide, told the news agency NTB.
Refused to pay
The sentence was passed in jæren district court on Monday morning. The case came before the court after Hodne refused to pay a fine of 8,000 kroner.
Hairdresser sent hijab-clad Malika Bayan away from her salon, but denies that it was discrimination. The trial against Hodne on Thursday was marked by strong opinions about Islam.
Hodne was accused of discriminating a person because of her religion, after she refused Bayan service and services because Bayan wore a hijab.
Hodne pleaded not guilty when the trial began. She said she became anxious and “completely freaked out” when Bayan and a friend came into the saloon wearing hijabs.
– For me, the hijab an extreme political symbol, I feel ill when I see people wearing a hijab. They came in, one of them asked me about the cost of putting stripes in your hair, and I said I do not put stripes in , cut the hair of or provide other hairdressing services to people like you, that they had to go to another barber and then they left the salon, Merete Hodne said.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
