
France's highest administrative court has imposed a ban on "burkini" bathing clothes with in public pools, dismissing the lawsuit filed by the city of Grenoble.
Last month, Grenoble authorized all bathroom clothes, including burkini, sparking a legal battle with the government.
Burkini are mainly dressed by Muslim women, they cover the whole body except for their faces, legs and hands.
But the court said it could not allow "selective exemptions from the rules to meet religious requirements".
The dispute went all the way to the State Council after a local court in Grenoble suspended the ban on the grounds that it seriously censored the principle of neutrality in public services.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also attended, describing the policy as an "unacceptable provocation" that was at odds with French secular values.
France has strict laws on which swimsuits can be worn and the issue of religious expression in public places is always treasonous.
Burkini's ban on state swimming pools is also supported for hygiene reasons. Males are usually forced to wear tight swimming underwear - another rule grenoble tried to overturn unsuccessfully by allowing longer swim shorts.