US Mulls Offering Asylum To British Man Who Burned Quran If He Loses Hate Crime Appeal

Last Updated:February 16, 2026, 08:02 IST

Hamit Coskun, who burned the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London, faces a UK legal battle with US officials monitoring.

A man at the center of a free speech row in Britain may receive protection from the United States if his legal fight fails in the UK, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

Hamit Coskun, who burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge, London, earlier this year, is waiting for a fresh court ruling after prosecutors challenged the overturning of his conviction.

American State Department officials are said to be monitoring the case and preparing assistance should he lose his appeal.

The incident dates back to February 13, when Coskun held the burning religious text above his head and shouted anti-Islam slogans during protest in Rutland Gardens.

Born in Turkey and describing himself as half-Kurdish and half-Armenian, Coskun says he is an atheist. He claims he travelled to Britain fearing Islamist violence in his home country and now believes he may have to leave the UK because of threats made against him.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he said he might move to the United States, arguing the country protects free speech more strongly. He also claimed Britain risked restricting expression through what he described as “speech codes".

Coskun was originally convicted in June of a religiously aggravated public order offence and fined £240. The district judge at the time ruled his actions showed hostility towards Islam and rejected arguments that the prosecution amounted to a revival of blasphemy law.

However, four months later, a Crown Court judge overturned that conviction. The court held that freedom of expression includes speech that may offend or disturb others, noting there is no offence of blasphemy in England and Wales.

Blasphemy laws were abolished there in 2008 and in Scotland in 2021, though they still exist in Northern Ireland.

The Crown Prosecution Service is now appealing that decision, with the case due to be heard on Tuesday.

Separately, Coskun has applied for asylum in Britain and asked the Home Office for secure accommodation, telling the High Court his life had been threatened and that there had been several violent incidents against him.

Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, authorities can provide housing to asylum seekers, sometimes with special conditions for safety.

He has said he will continue campaigning against political Islam if the court again rules in his favour. If not, he believes it would show that free speech protections in Britain have weakened.

News world US Mulls Offering Asylum To British Man Who Burned Quran If He Loses Hate Crime Appeal

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