Burning of the Quran by "supporters of Joshkun" with the slogan "Islam is the religion of terrorism"
"Hamit Joshkun" was found guilty of chanting the slogan "Islam is a religion of terrorism" and burning the Quran.
Hamit Coskun, 50, from Turkey, was found guilty of disturbing public order motivated by religious hatred after burning a Quran in front of the Turkish consulate in London.
Joshkun had chanted slogans such as "Death to Islam" and "Islam is a religion of terrorism" while burning the Quran in front of the consulate. The Westminster Magistrates' Court in the UK also charged him with disturbing public order motivated by religious hatred and sentenced him to pay £240 plus £96 in legal costs.
The judge in the court said of his crime: "This act was highly provocative and was carried out out of hatred towards followers of another religion."
The National Secular Association of Britain, which paid part of his legal fees, described the sentence against him as a serious blow to freedom of expression and warned of the practical return of blasphemy laws. His case has sparked widespread reactions to the limits of free speech and the revival of blasphemy laws.
Hamit Coşkun denied the accusation, stating that his action was merely a peaceful protest against Erdogan's Islamist government in Turkey, and that he did it within the framework of his freedom of expression and had no other intention.
