A couple from Russia was sent to a deportation center after being detained in Hagia Sophia.

A married couple from Russia was sent to a deportation center after being detained in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Cathedral. This was announced on July 15 at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Istanbul.

Earlier that day, the media reported that Russian tourists Victoria and Igor Filonov were detained after they decided to read the Bible in St. Sophia Cathedral. It was alleged that the local police had drawn up a protocol against the couple under Article 216 of the Turkish Criminal Code ("Incitement to hatred or hostility among the population or humiliation").

The Russian Consulate General said it was checking the circumstances of the detention. It is noted that the tourists are in the deportation center, the issue of their forced deportation to their homeland is being resolved.

"We are in contact with the detainees' lawyer, sworn translator and the Turkish competent authorities. Currently, V.S. Filonova and I.A. Filonov are in the deportation center. The Office of Migration is resolving the issue of their deportation. We are keeping the issue under control," TASS cites the text of the message.

The Consulate General also contacted the police department of Istanbul's Fatih district to clarify the situation.

St. Sophia's Cathedral has long been considered a shrine of the Christian world. In 1453, after the Ottomans captured Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II turned the cathedral into a mosque. In the twentieth century, the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, transformed Hagia Sophia into a museum. In 2020, the Turkish State Council returned the shrine to the status of a mosque.

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In May, it was reported that a Russian citizen was detained on the Thai island of Phuket for illegally organizing fishing tours through the Telegram messenger. The man was charged with running a tourism business without a license, working as a guide without permission, and violating the law on the employment of foreigners.