Turkish man in UK fined for burning Quran
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A man was fined after burning a Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London, a judge having found his actions were driven by Islamophobia.
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Hamit Coskun arrives at Westminister Magistrates' Court in London, June 2, 2025. (Aaron Chown/AP)
A man has been fined for burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London, in what a UK judge ruled was a religiously aggravated public order offence.
The defendant, Hamit Coskun, 50, was found guilty on Monday, with the court determining that his actions were “motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims.”
Coskun, who described the prosecution as an attack on free speech, carried out the incident in February after travelling from his home in the Midlands to Rutland Gardens in Knightsbridge.
There, he publicly set fire to the Islamic holy book and shouted slurs including “f*** Islam,” “Islam is religion of terrorism,” and “Quran is burning.” The protest took place directly in front of the Turkish consulate.
During the trial, Coskun, who was born in Turkey and is of Kurdish and Armenian heritage, argued that his actions were peaceful and protected under freedom of expression laws.
However, Judge McGarva rejected this defense, describing the protest as “highly provocative” and stating that Coskun’s motivations stemmed from anti-Muslim sentiment.
While Coskun claimed his critique was directed at Islam as a belief system rather than its adherents, the court found that distinction unconvincing.
Judge finds anti-Muslim hatred in Quran burning case
The judge concluded that Coskun held a “deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers,” shaped by personal and family experiences in Turkey, and ruled that the defendant’s views on the religion could not be separated from his views on Muslims.
McGarva emphasized that while criticism of Islam or the Quran alone is not necessarily disorderly, Coskun’s act became criminal due to its timing, location, and accompanying abusive language. The judge imposed a £240 fine, rejecting claims that the case was an attempt to revive blasphemy laws in England.
Coskun’s legal fees are being covered by Britain's National Secular Society and Free Speech Union, both of which condemned the ruling and pledged to appeal it.
The two organizations described the conviction as a dangerous precedent for free speech in the UK and vowed to continue challenging the verdict until it is overturned.
The case has drawn comment from political figures in Westminster. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson declined to comment directly on the verdict but clarified that the UK has no blasphemy laws and no intention of introducing any.
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, said on X that “freedom of belief, and freedom not to believe, are inalienable rights in Britain,” and supported an appeal of the ruling.
The advocacy group Muslim Engagement and Development quoted the judge’s sentencing remarks in a post on X, adding the hashtag #hatespeechisnotfreespeech. The group welcomed the conviction as a step toward recognizing the harmful effects of hate-motivated public conduct on religious communities.
