A court in Istanbul has handed down a 10-month suspended prison sentence to the two Greek nationals who were arrested inside Hagia Sophia following an incident in which they displayed a flag bearing a Byzantine symbol and a pro-Orthodox slogan. The ruling was issued by a Turkish court for the incident that took place on April 9 inside the historic monument, according to information reported by Cypriot outlet Sigmalive.
Although a prison sentence was imposed, the five-year suspension means the two convicted individuals will not serve any time in custody and are expected to return to Greece once the required legal procedures are completed.
The case involves a 42-year-old woman from a village near Sparta and her cousin, an Australian national of Greek descent, who were part of a five-member tourist group that had traveled to Istanbul and visited Hagia Sophia.
According to Turkish authorities, during their visit to the upper floor of the monument, one of the two unfurled a flag bearing the Byzantine double-headed eagle and the phrase “Orthodoxy or Death,” after which they were photographed together holding the flag.
Their actions were captured by the security cameras inside Hagia Sophia, and Turkish authorities moved swiftly to arrest them.
The two Greeks were brought before the courts on charges of “insulting a segment of the population.” The case attracted significant attention in both Greece and Turkey, given the profound symbolic importance of Hagia Sophia to Orthodoxy and the Greek world.
