London court convicts British Quran burner of religious hatred.

Controversy is escalating in the United Kingdom regarding the boundaries of freedom of expression and the state's responsibility in balancing respect for religious beliefs and protecting the public sphere from hate speech.

British citizen Hamid "Joshkon", aged 50, was convicted of burning a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge on February 13.

A London court deemed his actions a serious violation of public order with a religious nature.

The court imposed a fine of £240, along with an additional £96 in fees.

The judges stated that the defendant's behavior was "provocative and humiliating", reflecting "deep-seated hatred towards Islam and its followers".

According to court records, Joshkon, of Kurdish and Armenian descent, traveled from Derby to London specifically to carry out the act in front of the Turkish consulate.

This coincided with a protest campaign he announced on his social media accounts, accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of "turning Turkey into a base for Islamic extremism".

The court rejected his justifications, affirming the impossibility of distinguishing between "criticism of Islam" and "incitement against Muslims" in this case, as burning the Quran was accompanied by direct statements and insults targeting the religion and its followers.