VIENNA, April 2, 2026 — Austria’s Constitutional Court has struck down a ban on long hair for male soldiers in the country’s armed forces, ruling it discriminatory and a violation of privacy rights. The court found that the regulation, imposed by a 2017 decree from the defense minister, unfairly targeted men based on gender. The decision came after a soldier was fined 3,000 euros for growing long hair, a penalty later reduced to 2,200 euros by the Federal Administrative Court. The ruling emphasized that the ban infringed on soldiers’ right to private life. No specific justification for the hair-length restriction was provided in the court’s summary of the decision. The Austrian Armed Forces had enforced the rule under disciplinary measures, but the Constitutional Court’s judgment nullifies the policy. No immediate reaction from military officials was available. The case marks a significant challenge to gender-based grooming standards in Austria’s military. The court did not address regulations for female soldiers in its ruling.