Patriarch Sahak II visits Istanbul Armenian man after attack

Istanbul’s Armenian Patriarch Sahak Mashalian visited Garo Kaprielian, a prominent figure of the Istanbul Armenian community, after he was attacked in an apparent hate crime on Friday, the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate reported.

Kaprielian was attacked by employees of a market in Istanbul, Asbarez reported, citing the Agos Armenian newspaper.

During the attack, the assailants shouted racially-charged and discriminatory insults, according to Kaprielian, who recounted the incident to Agos.

He told the Istanbul-based newspaper that he suffered a broken finger and bruises to his face.

Law enforcement said that the case would be referred to the prosecutor’s office for a pending investigation.