A London court has fined Hamit Coskun, a 50-year-old man, £240 ($325) after he was found guilty of religiously aggravated public disorder for burning a copy of the Qur'an outside the Turkish consulate while shouting anti-Islamic statements.

The incident occurred on February 13 when Coskun shouted "Islam is a religion of terrorism" while holding a burning Qur'an. He also reportedly made other offensive and provocative remarks against Muslims during the protest.

Despite Coskun's claims that he was protesting peacefully, District Judge John McGarva ruled that the act was provocative and caused alarm. The judge noted that the protest was "fueled in part by his hatred for Muslims."

"Burning a religious book, although offensive to some, is not necessarily disorderly. What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language," Judge McGarva stated during the ruling at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The verdict has sparked criticism from free speech advocacy groups. The National Secular Society (NSS), which helped pay Coskun's legal fees, called the prosecution "a significant blow to freedom of expression," adding that "Britain has no blasphemy laws. Yet this verdict creates one de facto."

According to earlier reports, Coskun was protesting against the Turkish government, which he accused of making Turkey a home for radical Muslim ideology. Free speech campaigners have vowed to appeal the ruling.

The case has reignited debate about the boundaries between free expression and religious hatred in the United Kingdom, with some arguing that the verdict sets a concerning precedent for limiting criticism of religious beliefs.