Overview
- Security personnel escorted a Russian couple identified as Viktoria and Igor out of Hagia Sophia and detained them after they read from a Bible in the building’s upper gallery on July 13.
- Istanbul police drew up a report citing Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which covers acts that provoke hostility or humiliate groups.
- Turkish authorities moved the couple to a detention facility as they await a decision about possible deportation from Turkey.
- Russia’s Consulate General in Istanbul is investigating the case and has contacted the couple’s attorney, according to Russian diplomatic statements.
- The episode highlights tensions around Hagia Sophia after its 2020 reconversion to a mosque and shows stricter enforcement in areas of the site still used for museum access, with limited official comment so far.