France's highest administrative court has suspended a town's controversial ban on full-body burkini swimsuits.
The ruling by the Council of State specifically concerns a ban in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, but the binding decision is expected to set a legal precedent for the 30 or so areas that have also imposed bans.
Lawyers for two human rights groups challenged the legality of the policy, saying it infringes basic freedoms and that mayors have overstepped their powers by telling women what to wear.
Mayors cited concerns about public order after deadly terror attacks this summer, and some officials have argued the garment oppresses women.
The court said in a statement the decree "seriously, and clearly illegally, breached the fundamental freedoms to come and go, the freedom of beliefs and individual freedom".
Lawyer Patrice Spinosi, representing the Human Rights League, said mayors in other towns should take heed of the court's decision and drop their bans.
He also said women who have already received fines can protest against them based on the decision.
Amnesty International praised the ruling. John Dalhuisen, the charity's Europe director, said: "By overturning a discriminatory ban that is fuelled by and is fuelling prejudice and intolerance, today's decision has drawn an important line in the sand."
But the mayor of Sisco, in northern Corsica, has said he will not lift his ban.
Ange-Pierre Vivoni told BFM-TV: "Here the tension is very, very, very strong and I won't withdraw it."
Earlier this week, a mother-of-two told Sky News she was horrified when French police ordered her to remove her headscarf while she was on the beach.
The woman, who gave her name as Siam, had gone to the beach in Cannes, and said she was given a verbal warning when she refused to remove the headscarf.
It came after photos emerged from nearby Nice, appearing to show officers enforcing a "burkini ban" on the beach there.
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