Two Muslim women who defied the ban on wearing a full face veil in public have become the first to fall foul of the controversial French law.
Hind Ahmas and Najate Naitali were fined 120 and 80 euros respectively on Thursday morning.
The pair were arrested in May, in eastern Paris. They had brought a birthday cake for the MP Jean-Francois Copé, who pushed the burqa ban through parliament and were arrested near the local town hall.
The women insisted that they would appeal to the French supreme court, or failing that, the European Court of Human Rights. It has been suggested that the law may be found in breach of article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Miss Ahmas said: “[The ban] simply violates my individual freedom, my freedom of thought, of religious expression and practice, and I have absolutely no intention of applying it.”
Rachid Nekkaz, a businessman, paid their fines. He explained his position as a defence of liberty:
"We have to respect all kinds of clothes. It's not up to a government to forbid someone from wearing what they want. Liberty is part of our constitution. We have to respect this liberty even if we do not agree with it."
The sentencing was closely followed across Europe, as a number of countries, including Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland all have - or are planning - similar legislation.
On Friday a French ban on praying in the street also came into force.