Trial of nearly 200 people opens after Turkey protests
Student groups held a banner reading ‘justice for our friends’ outside a courthouse in Istanbul in support of those on trial
A trial of nearly 200 people arrested in protests against the Turkish government has opened in Istanbul.
Mass demonstrations began on 19 March after Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu – a key rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – was detained on corruption charges, which he denies.
Most of the 189 defendants in the trial, which opened on Friday at the Caglayan courthouse, are students, while eight are journalists.
Charges against them include taking part in illegal protests following a crackdown on public gatherings and failing to disperse despite warnings.
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