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Two Russian nationals detained in Istanbul are currently held at a deportation center while authorities evaluate their potential removal from Türkiye, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Russian Consulate General.
According to the report, the two nationals had been detained on July 13 while they were reading from the Bible inside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Security personnel at the site reportedly intervened, and the pair was taken to a police station in Istanbul's Fatih district, where an incident report was filed.
Consular staff reached out to the Fatih police after relatives of the detainees contacted the consulate on July 14 to report the incident.
The case reportedly falls under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which addresses incitement to hatred or hostility, or degrading a segment of the population.
"We remain in contact with the detainees' lawyer, a sworn translator and the relevant Turkish authorities, and we are monitoring the situation," the consulate said, according to reports.
Sources within the Istanbul Police Department reportedly confirmed the incident took place but declined to provide further details.
The Istanbul Governor's Office and the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report.
Management at the hotel where the pair had been staying also declined to disclose its whereabouts, citing regulations prohibiting the sharing of guest information with third parties.
No Turkish authority has issued a public statement confirming the legal proceedings or the possibility of deportation.
Hagia Sophia, a former Byzantine cathedral and Ottoman-era mosque that operated as a museum for decades, was reconverted into a mosque by presidential decree in July 2020, with religious services resuming shortly after. Turkish authorities had previously treated non-Muslim religious displays inside the site as breaches of public order.
In April 2026, two Greek tourists were reportedly detained at Hagia Sophia after unfurling a Byzantine flag for a photograph, an act authorities characterized as a religious provocation. Both were subsequently deported.
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