A taxi driver in Essen, Germany, is contesting a fine imposed by local authorities for displaying a Bible verse sticker on his vehicle, which reads “Jesus – I am the way. The truth. And the life”.

It led to Jalil Mashali being fined for what the city deemed unlawful “religious advertising,” the rights group ADF International said Wednesday.

Mashali, a Christian convert from Iran, is challenging the fine, arguing that the sticker is a personal expression of faith rather than advertising.

Essen authorities say that the sticker violates a local ordinance against religious advertising on taxis, a stance rooted in a 1998 Federal Constitutional Court ruling. However, Mashali and his supporters contest this interpretation, asserting that the sticker falls within his rights to express personal beliefs.