A Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after they were detained for reading a bible inside Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia, a sixth-century church that was reconverted to a mosque several years ago.
The couple, identified as Viktoria and Igor, were escorted out of the Hagia Sophia on Monday and charged with inciting hatred or hostility among the population, Ostorozhno Novosti reported on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, Turkish law enforcement authorities had moved the couple to a detention facility to await deportation.
The state-run TASS news agency confirmed the arrests through anonymous Turkish police sources.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry told Ostorozhno Novosti that its consulate in Istanbul had contacted the couple’s attorney.
