Individual Who Removed Cross from Armenian Church in Istanbul Sentenced to 1 Year and 4 Months in Prison

An individual has been arrested in relation to the attack on the Armenian St. Gregory the Illuminator Church located in the Skutari district of Istanbul. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office reported to Turkish media that an investigation was initiated on charges of 'damaging places of worship.' This information was relayed by Ermenihaber.

After nearly two months of investigation, the court decided to sentence the accused, identified as Mazlum D., to 1 year and 4 months in prison. As previously reported, in May, this individual violently removed and threw to the ground the cross that was installed on the church's entrance gates. The moment of the hate-motivated attack was recorded by the church's security cameras.

It should be noted that the detained Mazlum D. stated in his confession that he is unable to work due to suffering from diabetes. In earlier testimonies, he noted that he acted this way under the influence of his illness. Mazlum claimed that there was no reason behind his actions and that he had no connection with any person or organization. He expressed remorse for his actions.