US officials are reportedly considering offering refuge to Hamit Coskun if he loses a key court case in the UK this week, a move that could further strain relations between Washington and London over free speech concerns.
Coskun, 51, was previously convicted of a religiously aggravated public order offence after burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London in February last year. He later succeeded in overturning that conviction, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is now challenging the ruling at a High Court hearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 17.
According to reports, members of Donald Trump’s administration have discussed the possibility of granting Coskun refugee status should the appeal go against him. A senior U.S. official described his situation as one of several cases the administration has been monitoring.
Coskun, who is of Armenian-Kurdish background, sought asylum in the UK from Turkey, claiming that Islamic extremists had devastated his family. During the 2025 protest in Knightsbridge, he was seen holding the burning book while shouting criticism of Islam. A magistrates’ court found him guilty of religiously aggravated public order and disorderly behaviour offences, fining him £240 plus a surcharge.
At the time, the presiding judge described his actions as deliberately provocative. Initially, prosecutors had framed the charge as harassment of a “religious institution,” but that wording was later revised following objections from free speech advocates who argued that the case risked resembling a blasphemy prosecution an offence abolished in the UK nearly two decades ago. Prosecutors maintained that the case was not about the act of burning the Quran itself, but about the surrounding conduct and language used.
Coskun has said that if he loses the appeal, he may seek to relocate to the United States, arguing that American leadership has taken a stronger stance on free expression. He also indicated that if he prevails in court, he intends to remain in the UK and continue what he describes as political protest.
The situation has reignited debate about the limits of free speech in Britain. Critics argue that recent prosecutions risk chilling lawful expression, while others maintain that public order and protections against religious hostility must be upheld. Free speech campaigners have warned that the outcome of this case could set an important precedent.
The High Court’s decision is expected to clarify how UK law balances freedom of expression with public order protections in cases involving religiously sensitive acts.
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