Man Convicted for Quran Burning Outside London Turkish Consulate

Hamit Coskun, a 50-year-old atheist of Kurdish and Armenian descent, was found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offence after burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London and shouting offensive phrases against Islam. District Judge John McGarva ruled that Coskun's actions were highly provocative, accompanied by abusive language, and motivated at least in part by hostility towards Muslims, constituting disorderly behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress. The incident, which took place in February, provoked violent reactions including an assault on Coskun, demonstrating the serious public disorder it caused. Coskun claimed he was protesting against the Turkish government and exercising his right to freedom of speech, but the court rejected this defense, emphasizing that his conduct was deliberately provocative and hateful. The National Secular Society criticized the verdict, arguing it undermines freedom of expression and effectively reinstates a blasphemy law by criminalizing hostility toward a religion's ideology rather than just individuals. The case highlights ongoing tensions between free speech rights and protections against religious hatred in the UK legal system.