Two Greek tourists were arrested in Istanbul on Holy Thursday because they unfurled a Greek flag with a Byzantine eagle inside Hagia Sophia. The flag bore the message “Orthodoxy or Death,” and the detainees are reported to have shouted slogans inside the sacred site.
Security personnel detected the situation through cameras and intervened, while the tourists had entered as members of an organized group. The two Greeks were referred to court and formally arrested on charges of offending a section of the public. Two Greek tourists were arrested on the afternoon of Holy Thursday (9/4) in Istanbul because they unfurled a Greek flag with the Byzantine eagle inside Hagia Sophia.
More specifically, according to information, the two were allegedly holding a flag reading “Orthodoxy or Death” and shouting slogans inside the sacred space. They are a woman with a Greek passport and a man holding both Greek and Australian passports.
As seen in video from security cameras, the individuals entered Hagia Sophia as part of an organized tour group. After passing through security checks, they moved to the upper gallery level, which is open to visitors.
At that point, one of the tourists took out a flag he had hidden inside his jacket and unfurled it. After posing for a photo, he handed the flag to another member of the group, who then posed as well. Security staff quickly noticed the situation via the cameras and intervened, while another member of the group appeared ready to hold the same flag.
According to reports, the flag depicted a double-headed eagle along with a written message reading: “Orthodoxy or Death!”
Later, they were brought before a court in Istanbul and were formally arrested on charges of offending a section of the public.
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