Four sentenced to 17 months for mosque assault on former Mufti in Greece

A court in Xanthi, Greece, has sentenced four men to 17 months in prison each for their role in the physical assault and obstruction of Cihat Halil, the former acting Mufti of Komotini. The incident took place on October 11, 2024, at the Çınar (Platanos) mosque in Xanthi, where the defendants prevented Halil from performing his Friday prayers.

The convicted individuals are Murat Köse, identified as the self-proclaimed "committee chairman" of the mosque; Hüseyin Baltacı, former president of the Association of Scientists of the Minority of Western Thrace and a candidate for the Party for Equality, Peace and Friendship (DEB); Ozan Ahmedoğlu, president of the illegal "Turkish Union of Xanthi" and a DEB official; and Bahri Belço, vice-president of DEB.

They received 12 months for violence and 10 months for disturbing public peace, merged into a 17-month sentence. The sentences were converted to a fine, payable over three years, and the defendants announced their intention to appeal. The trial followed a delay and a recess requested by the defense, and tensions were noted during the proceedings.

The assault occurred shortly after the inauguration ceremony of the new building for the Muslim Theological School of Xanthi. According to the indictment, when Halil went to the mosque for Friday prayers, a group led by the convicted men attacked him, physically assaulted him, and denied him entry. The Muftiate of Komotini issued a statement calling the verdict a restoration of justice, emphasizing that violence and threats have no place in a democracy and that such actions undermine social peace and coexistence. The statement asserted that Thrace consistently responds with calmness, unity, and respect.

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The conviction restores the sense of justice and sends a clear message that violence and threats have no place in democracy. Especially when directed against the right to free access to a place of worship for prayer, they directly harm social peace and coexistence. Thrace has historically responded with composure, unity, and respect to every effort.