The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld a Belgian ban on wearing the niqab in public.

Wearing the Muslim full-face veil in public is a violation of the law and can result in fines and up to seven days in jail.

The new restriction came into place to “guarantee social cohesion, the protection of the rights and freedoms of others and that it was ‘necessary in a democratic society,’” a statement said.

Belgium banned the niqab under a June 2011 law, which prohibits appearing in public “with a face masked or hidden, in whole or in part, in such a way as to be unidentifiable.”

Other European countries who have banned the niqab include France - the first country to ban it - Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands.