A teacher in Upper Egypt who cut the hair of two sixth-grade pupils because they were not wearing the Islamic headscarf was sentenced by a criminal court in Luxor on Tuesday.

Iman Ahmed Kilani, a science teacher, was given a six-month suspended jail sentence, a LE50 fine and was ordered to pay the expenses of the case.

Kilani was sentenced in absentia. Her husband attended the trial in her place.

The case was transferred to the administrative prosecution after the girls' parents lodged a formal complaint against Kilani in mid-October.

Earlier in October, Kilani – who wears the full Islamic face veil (niqab) – punished Ola El-Qassem and Mona El-Rawi for coming to class without wearing a headscarf as per her instructions by cutting both girls' hair.

She went on to threaten other girls in the class with the same punishment if they failed to wear the veil.

Kilani said she does not belong to any political and religious group, adding that she has worn the full-face veil for five years.