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Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal, two Christians on trial in Turkey on charges of "insulting Turkishness" and inciting hatred against Islam (click here for more details), were further harassed on July 1 by being fined for "illegal collection of funds" by an administrative district authority in Beyoglu district, Istanbul. According to a July 3 report from Compass Direct, plainclothes police officers met Tastan at his church, the Taksim Protestant Church, on Sunday morning and told him he was wanted at the local police station. Tastan telephoned Topal and the two agreed to go to the station. Both men were presented with a "penalty sheet" ordering them to pay 600 Turkish lira ($490 CAD) for collecting money without official permission from local district authorities. No documents or evidence to substantiate the accusations were shown to them. |
