(JTA) — An Orthodox Jew who was not carrying his ID card on the Sabbath was found not guilty by a Hague appeals court of breaking a national identity law.
The man had faced a fine of nearly $200 for failing to prove his identity when requested to do so by police under a Dutch law.
Orthodox Jews are not permitted to carry any objects in a public place on the Sabbath.
The Hague appeals court ruled last week that the man’s religious requirement was more important than the law, according to Dutch News, citing the Telegraaf.
According to the newspaper, the minister who introduced the law was told at the time that it would present problems for Orthodox Jews, and he said then that it should be taken into account when the law was put into practice.
The public prosecutor could appeal the ruling.
