""provocative and taunting""
""you have a deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers""
""has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a Sharia regime""
""perfectly legitimate expression of his opinion on Islam""
Hamit Coskun, 50, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge on 13 February while shouting abusive comments about Islam. In June he was found guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court of a religiously aggravated public order offence and of using disorderly behaviour, and fined 240 with a statutory surcharge of 96. District Judge John McGarva described the conduct as "provocative and taunting" and told him "you have a deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers". Coskun wrote social media posts framing the act as a protest against the Turkish government and claimed President Erdogan "has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a Sharia regime". He is appealing his conviction under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, with counsel arguing the act was protected expression under Article 10 of the ECHR and a "perfectly legitimate expression of his opinion on Islam".
Read at www.bbc.com
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