Latest news with #HamitCoskun
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Man who burned Koran was attacked and spat at, court told
A man who burned a Koran outside the Turkish Consulate in central London was attacked and spat on by a man who told him not to do so because 'it's my religion', a court heard. Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted 'f*** Islam', 'Islam is religion of terrorism' and 'Koran is burning' as he held the flaming Islamic text aloft outside the Turkish consulate in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, on February 13, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told. Coskun denies a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', motivated by 'hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam', contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986. He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', contrary to section five of the Public Order Act 1986. Further details of a subsequent attack on Coskun can now be reported after a judge dismissed a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) attempt to impose a reporting restriction. Turkey-born Coskun, who is half Kurdish and half Armenian, travelled from his home in the Midlands and set fire to the Koran at around 2pm, the court heard. In footage captured on a mobile phone by a passerby that was shown to the court, a man approached and asked Coskun why he was burning a copy of the Koran. Coskun can be heard making a reference to 'terrorist' and the man called the defendant 'a f****** idiot'. The man approached him allegedly holding a knife or bladed article and appeared to slash out at him, the court heard. The footage appeared to show Coskun back away and use the burning Koran to deflect the attacker, who is alleged to have slashed out at him again. The man chased Coskun, and the defendant stumbled forward and fell to the ground, dropping the Koran, the footage showed. Coskun was spat at and kicked by the man, the court heard. The man said: 'Burning the Koran? It's my religion! You don't burn the Koran.' Coskun sustained an injured finger and was taken to hospital, though it is not clear whether this was caused by the man's kicks, the court heard. The unnamed man is subject to legal proceedings. Katy Thorne KC, defending, said in her closing argument on Thursday: 'We would suggest that there is across history, and indeed now, many people who are hostile to other religions.' Ms Thorne brought up the example of some feminists being hostile to Catholicism, saying it is a 'sacrosanct right that they are entitled to have and express'. She added: 'However offensive Muslims may find the behaviour and beliefs of the defendant, he's entitled to have them, he's entitled to express them.' Ms Thorne said that Coskun felt that he was not acting in a violent way or had been disorderly in front of anyone. She added: 'He was calm, he was calmly with a raised voice saying 'Islam is the religion of terrorism' and then what happened was he was abused and violently attacked.' Prosecutor Philip McGhee said Coskun's argument that he was using the right to protest was a 'shield' for a 'hostility' towards Islam. Coskun had posted on social media that he was protesting against the 'Islamist government' of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who the defendant allegedly said 'has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a sharia regime', the prosecutor said. The defendant, who is an atheist, believes that he protested peacefully and burning the Koran amounted to freedom of expression, the court heard. Ahead of his trial, in a quote released through the Free Speech Union, he said: 'Encountering such treatment in a country like England, which I truly believed to be a place where freedom prevailed, was a real shock to me.' His legal fees are being paid for by the Free Speech Union and the National Secular Society (NSS). District Judge John McGarva will pass verdict at the same court on Monday.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Prosecuting man for burning Qur'an ‘reintroducing blasphemy law', court told
Prosecuting a man for burning the Qur'an is 'tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law' in Great Britain, a trial has heard. Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted 'fuck Islam', 'Islam is religion of terrorism' and 'Qur'an is burning' as he held aloft the burning Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, on 13 February, Westminster magistrates court heard. Coskun denies a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', motivated by 'hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam', contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986. He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', contrary to section five of the Public Order Act 1986. At his trial on Wednesday, Katy Thorne KC, defending, said: 'The prosecution, in bringing this prosecution at all, is seeking to introduce a law unknown to this land, namely blasphemy in relation to Islam.' Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and in Scotland in 2021. In Northern Ireland, blasphemy laws date back to the early 19th century and, while rarely used, blasphemy and blasphemous libel remain offences. Coskun, giving evidence via a Turkish interpreter, told the court that he has the 'right' to criticise Islam but said that he does not like using swear words. Thorne said that burning the Qur'an 'cannot be a criminal offence' and accused the Crown Prosecution Service of an abuse of process in its decision to bring the case against Coskun. She said in her written argument: 'To render such an act a criminal offence is tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law in relation to Islam, rendering the Qur'an a specially protected object in the UK, where a flag or another book would not be, and rendering trenchant or offensive criticism of Islam a criminal offence, is also akin to reinstating an offence of blasphemy. 'People must be free to exercise their religious or non-religious beliefs and to manifest those beliefs in whatever non-violent way they choose, and any curtailing by the state of that freedom must be absolutely necessary in a democratic society.' Thorne said that Coskun 'did not exhort hate' but voiced his dislike and frustration with a religion. She added: 'He expressed nothing to suggest that he was hostile to those who followed Islam. 'He did so outside the Turkish Consulate, a political institution, which provides further evidence he was not seeking to persuade others to dislike Islam, but express his personal criticism of Turkey and its stance on Islam. 'His protest was specifically political and thus, it is submitted, requires the highest protection of freedom of speech.' Prosecutor Philip McGhee said that Coskun was not being prosecuted simply for the burning of the Qur'an, but for 'disorderly conduct'. McGhee said of Thorne's argument: 'There is simply no misconduct in this case.' District Judge John McGarva ruled that there was no abuse of process and dismissed the application. McGhee added that the decision to prosecute does not affect the ability of others to criticise religion. The prosecutor had earlier said that Coskun had deliberately chosen the time and location of his demonstration. He went on: 'His actions gave rise to a very clear threat to public order and went beyond a legitimate expression of protest, crossing the line to pose a threat to public order.' Turkey-born Coskun, who is half-Kurdish and half-Armenian, travelled from his home in the Midlands on 13 February and set fire to the Qur'an at about 2pm, the court heard. Coskun had posted on social media that he was protesting against the 'Islamist government' of Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who the defendant allegedly said 'has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a sharia regime', prosecutors said. Coskun, who is an atheist, believes that he protested peacefully and burning the Qur'an amounted to freedom of expression, the court heard. Ahead of his trial, in a quote released through the Free Speech Union, he said: 'Encountering such treatment in a country like England, which I truly believed to be a place where freedom prevailed, was a real shock to me.' His legal fees are being paid for by the Free Speech Union and the National Secular Society. The Free Speech Union said it is defending him 'not because we're anti-Islam, but because we believe no one should be compelled to observe the blasphemy codes of any religion, whether Christian or Muslim'. The prosecution and defence have finished their cases, but a further hearing will take place on Thursday afternoon, with a verdict likely to come on a later date, the court heard.
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
Criminalising Koran burning would be reintroducing blasphemy law, court told
Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted 'f*** Islam', 'Islam is religion of terrorism' and 'Koran is burning' as he held the flaming Islamic text aloft outside the Turkish consulate in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, on February 13, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. Coskun denies a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', motivated by 'hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam', contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986. He also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', contrary to section five of the Public Order Act 1986. At his trial on Wednesday, Katy Thorne KC, defending, said: 'The prosecution, in bringing this prosecution at all, is seeking to introduce a law unknown to this land, namely blasphemy in relation to Islam.' Hamit Coskun is charged with a religiously aggravated public order offence (Ben Whitley/PA) Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and in Scotland in 2021. In Northern Ireland blasphemy laws date back to the early 19th century and, while rarely used, blasphemy and blasphemous libel remain offences. Coskun, giving evidence via a Turkish interpreter, told the court that he has the 'right' to criticise Islam but said that he does not like using swear words. Ms Thorne said that burning the Koran 'cannot be a criminal offence' and accused the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of an abuse of process in its decision to bring the case against Coskun. She said in her written argument: 'To render such an act a criminal offence is tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law in relation to Islam, rendering the Koran a specially protected object in the UK, where a flag or another book would not be, and rendering trenchant or offensive criticism of Islam a criminal offence, is also akin to reinstating an offence of blasphemy. 'People must be free to exercise their religious or non-religious beliefs and to manifest those beliefs in whatever non-violent way they choose, and any curtailing by the state of that freedom must be absolutely necessary in a democratic society.' Ms Thorne said that Coskun 'did not exhort hate' but voiced his dislike and frustration with a religion. She added: 'He expressed nothing to suggest that he was hostile to those who followed Islam. 'He did so outside the Turkish Consulate, a political institution, which provides further evidence he was not seeking to persuade others to dislike Islam, but express his personal criticism of Turkey and its stance on Islam. 'His protest was specifically political and thus, it is submitted, requires the highest protection of freedom of speech.' Prosecutor Philip McGhee said that Coskun was not being prosecuted simply for the burning of the Koran, but for 'disorderly conduct'. Mr McGhee said of Ms Thorne's argument: 'There is simply no misconduct in this case.' District Judge John McGarva ruled that there was no abuse of process and dismissed the application. Mr McGhee added that the decision to prosecute does not affect the ability of others to criticise religion. The prosecutor had earlier said that Coskun had deliberately chosen the time and location of his demonstration. He went on: 'His actions gave rise to a very clear threat to public order and went beyond a legitimate expression of protest, crossing the line to pose a threat to public order.' Turkey-born Coskun, who is half Kurdish and half Armenian, travelled from his home in the Midlands on February 13 and set fire to the Koran at around 2pm, the court heard. A man approached and asked Coskun why he was burning a copy of the Koran, the court heard. Coskun allegedly made reference to 'terrorist' and the man called the defendant 'a f****** idiot', Mr McGhee said. The man went away and came back, the court heard. He approached Coskun, chased him and kicked and spat on him after he fell to the ground, Mr McGhee said. The man said: 'Burning the Koran? It's my religion! You don't burn the Koran.' Coskun had posted on social media that he was protesting against the 'Islamist government' of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who the defendant allegedly said 'has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a sharia regime', prosecutors said. Coskun, who is an atheist, believes that he protested peacefully and burning the Koran amounted to freedom of expression, the court heard. Ahead of his trial, in a quote released through the Free Speech Union, he said: 'Encountering such treatment in a country like England, which I truly believed to be a place where freedom prevailed, was a real shock to me.' His legal fees are being paid for by the Free Speech Union and the National Secular Society (NSS). The Free Speech Union said it is defending him 'not because we're anti-Islam, but because we believe no one should be compelled to observe the blasphemy codes of any religion, whether Christian or Muslim'. It said Coskun is an asylum seeker who fled Turkey, having been a political prisoner for almost a decade, who 'thought he was coming to a democratic country where he would be free to peacefully protest about a particular religion'. Lord Young of Acton, general secretary of the organisation, added: 'The rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression are sacrosanct and should not be disregarded because of fears about inflaming community tensions in a multicultural society.' Stephen Evans, chief executive of the NSS said: 'A successful prosecution in this case could represent the effective criminalisation of damaging a Koran in public, edging us dangerously close to a prohibition on blasphemy. 'The case also highlights the alarming use of public order laws to curtail our collective right to protest and free speech based on the subjective reactions of others. 'Establishing a right not to be offended threatens the very foundation of free expression.' A spokesperson for Humanists UK said that a successful prosecution would 'effectively resurrect the crime of blasphemy in England and Wales – 17 years after its abolition'. They added: 'This reintroduction of blasphemy by the back door would have profound consequences, not only for free expression in the UK but for the safety and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of so-called 'apostates' in the UK and their right to freedom of thought and conscience.' The trial, which is due to last one day, continues.
Metro
3 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Convicting man accused of setting fire to Quran could 'reintroduce blasphemy'
Prohibition of blasphemy could soon come back if a man accused of burning a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London is convicted, campaigners say. Hamit Coskun, 50, allegedly shouted 'F*** Islam', 'Islam is a religion of terrorism' and 'Koran is burning' as he held the flaming Islamic text up in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, on February 13. Coskun is accused of a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress'. Lawyers say this was motivated by 'hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam', in violation of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Public Order Act 1986. Coskun is on trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday and has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Ahead of his trial, in a quote released through the Free Speech Union, he said: 'Encountering such treatment in a country like England, which I truly believed to be a place where freedom prevailed, was a real shock to me.' His legal fees are being paid for by the Free Speech Union and the National Secular Society (NSS), who say they are defending them because they believe 'no one should be compelled to observe the blasphemy codes of any religion, whether Christian or Muslim.' Stephen Evans, chief executive of the NSS, warned: 'A successful prosecution in this case could represent the effective criminalisation of damaging a Koran in public, edging us dangerously close to a prohibition on blasphemy. 'The case also highlights the alarming use of public order laws to curtail our collective right to protest and free speech based on the subjective reactions of others. Establishing a right not to be offended threatens the very foundation of free expression.' The NSS claims Coskun is an asylum seeker who fled Turkey, having been a political prisoner for almost a decade, who 'thought he would be free to peacefully protest about a particular religion'. Lord Young of Acton, general secretary of the organisation, added: 'The rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression are sacrosanct and should not be disregarded because of fears about inflaming community tensions in a multicultural society.' A spokesperson for Humanists UK said that a successful prosecution would 'effectively resurrect the crime of blasphemy in England and Wales – 17 years after its abolition'. They added: 'This reintroduction of blasphemy by the back door would have profound consequences, not only for free expression in the UK but for the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of so-called 'apostates' in the UK and their right to freedom of thought and conscience.' In 2023, the decision to allow two men to stage a controversial protest outside a mosque in Sweden was widely condemned. More Trending Salwan Momika, who is thought to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, tore pages from a Quran, wiped his shoes on them and draped bacon across the book before setting it on fire. Swedish authorities granted permission for the protest to go ahead and Muslim-majority nations slammed the burning of the holy Islamic text. Muslims consider the Quran the sacred word of God and any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it is considered extremely offensive. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the protest, which coincided with the beginning of one of the most important Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha, was 'legal but not appropriate'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Seven people still in hospital after car ploughed into Liverpool fans MORE: London's congestion charge set to rise – here's how much it could cost you MORE: Adidas is latest cyberattack victim with shoppers' data stolen
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Convicting man over Koran burning would reintroduce blasphemy law, court told
Convicting a man for burning the Koran would be 'tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law', his defence team has told a court. Hamit Coskun appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after he allegedly shouted abusive slogans about Islam while burning the holy book outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge, London, on 13 February. The 50-year-old denies a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour and an alternative charge of using disorderly behaviour "within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress". Katy Thorne, defending, said at his trial that the prosecution pursuing the case against Coskun was "seeking to introduce a law unknown to this land, namely blasphemy in relation to Islam". Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008, with Scotland following suit in 2021. Ms Thorne told the court that burning the Koran "cannot be a criminal offence". "To render such an act a criminal offence is tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law in relation to Islam, rendering the Koran a specially protected object in the UK, where a flag or another book would not be, and rendering trenchant or offensive criticism of Islam a criminal offence, is also akin to reinstating an offence of blasphemy," she said in her written argument. "People must be free to exercise their religious or non-religious beliefs and to manifest those beliefs in whatever non-violent way they choose, and any curtailing by the state of that freedom must be absolutely necessary in a democratic society." She said Coskun "did not exhort hate" to those following Islam, but protested "outside the Turkish Consulate, a political institution, which provided further evidence he was not seeking to persuade others to dislike Islam, but express his personal criticism of Turkey and its stance on Islam". Ms Thorne added: "His protest was specifically political and thus... requires the highest protection of freedom of speech." 'Threat to public order' However, prosecutor Philip McGhee said Coskun was not charged simply for burning the Koran, but for "disorderly conduct". He said prosecuting Coskun did not impact the ability of others to criticise religion. Mr McGhee said Turkey-born Coskun, who is half Kurdish and half Armenian, had deliberately chosen the time and location of his protest, travelling from his home in the Midlands to the consulate to set alight the Koran at around 2pm. "His actions gave rise to a very clear threat to public order and went beyond a legitimate expression of protest, crossing the line to pose a threat to public order," Mr McGhee said. Coskun, an atheist, had said on social media he was demonstrating against the "Islamist government" of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he said had "made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a sharia regime", prosecutors said. The defendant's legal fees are being paid for by the Free Speech Union (FSU) and the National Secular Society (NSS). The FSU said it was defending Coskun "not because we're anti-Islam, but because we believe no one should be compelled to observe the blasphemy codes of any religion, whether Christian or Muslim". Stephen Evans, chief executive of the NSS, added: "A successful prosecution in this case could represent the effective criminalisation of damaging a Koran in public, edging us dangerously close to a prohibition on blasphemy." The trial, which is expected to last a day, continues.
