In Istanbul, a married couple from Russia was detained after they began reading the Bible inside the Hagia Sophia mosque. The tourists themselves told the outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti about the incident.
The couple were identified as 35-year-old Viktoria and 32-year-old Igor F. from Moscow. According to them, on July 14 they visited Hagia Sophia, one of the city’s best-known landmarks. There, Igor took out a Bible he had brought with him and started reading from it aloud.
The Russians say they were then surrounded, escorted out of the mosque, and taken to a police station in the Fatih district. Sources in the Istanbul police told TASS that the detention itself did take place.
According to the couple, the police report says they are suspected of “inciting hatred or hostility among the population”.
Later, the tourists said, they were not allowed to return to their hotel. They were then transferred to a migrant detention center in the Arnavutköy district ahead of deportation.
“My wife and I were separated. We have not eaten for a long time and feel very bad,” Igor said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry told Ostorozhno, Novosti that the Russian consulate general in Istanbul is dealing with the situation. According to the ministry, diplomats are in contact with the couple’s lawyer.
Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century as a Christian cathedral. In the 20th century it became a museum, and in 2020 the Turkish authorities restored its status as a mosque.