A Russian couple has been detained in Constantinople after reportedly reading the Bible inside Hagia Sophia, which currently functions as a mosque.
According to the Russian media outlet Ostorozhno Novosti, 32-year-old Igor and his wife Viktoria had traveled from Moscow for a vacation and visited the historic monument. Igor claimed that after he took out a Bible and began reading from it, police officers surrounded the couple, escorted them out of the building, and took them to the Fatih district police station.
The couple was reportedly held separately for several hours and, according to Igor, was not provided with food during their detention.
They were subsequently transferred to a migrant detention center in the Arnavutköy district of Constantinople, where they remain in custody pending the completion of administrative procedures.
Under Turkish law, administrative detention of foreign nationals may not exceed six months, although it can be extended for an additional six months in cases where deportation cannot be completed due to missing documentation or lack of cooperation from the detainee.
The case is being monitored by the Consulate General of Russia in Constantinople. The Russian Embassy in Turkey stated that diplomatic officials remain in regular contact with the couple’s lawyer and are following developments closely.
According to the same reports, the two Russian citizens are suspected of violating Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the offense of “incitement to hatred.”
