Istanbul: Detention of Russian citizens after reading the Bible inside Hagia Sophiatranslated

The Consulate General of Russia in Istanbul is investigating the conditions of detention of Russian citizens, by the Turkish authorities, after the reading of the Bible inside the Hagia Sophia. "There is currently no information on the case," the embassy told TASS, adding that diplomats are investigating the matter. Sources within the Istanbul police confirmed the incident but declined to comment further. Provincial authorities and the immigration office have also not commented on the incident in response to a TASS query.

The manager of the hotel where the prisoners were staying did not release any information about the whereabouts of the guests, citing laws that prohibit sharing information about guests with third parties.

As some Russian media reported, two Russians, named Victoria and Igor, were arrested for reading the Bible in Hagia Sophia on July 13. Security forces took them to a police station and made a report on suspicion of an offense under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which deals with "inciting hatred and enmity or insulting certain groups...