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Three people who danced on Armenian church wall in Istanbul face up to one year in prison
POLITICS
06.12.2021 | 14:27
A lawsuit has been filed against three people who danced on the gate of the Surp Takavor Armenian Church in İstanbul’s Kadıköy in mid-July 2021 and were briefly taken into custody over this act.
With the indictment issued by the İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, defendants Ozancan Y., Yunus Emre U. and Ömer Faruk A. are now facing up to 1 year in prison on charge of “publicly degrading the religious values of a segment of society.”
In the indictment lodged following the investigation into the incident, it is recalled that the defendants came in front of the church in a vehicle on the day of the incident. While defendant Ozancan Y. was playing music in the vehicle, other defendants Yunus Emre U. and Ömer Faruk A. got on top of the church’s front gate where a cross stands and danced there.
The indictment has noted that this act sparked public outrage and was criticized by several citizens on social media. According to the indictment, the defendants, in their statements of defense, admitted having committed the act, but said that they did not act with criminal intent.
