A trial of nearly 200 people arrested for demonstrations against the Turkish government has opened in Istanbul.
Mass demonstrations began on March 19 after the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmaMoğlu – a key rival from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – was detained for corruption accusations, which he denies.
Most of the 189 accused of the trial, which opened its doors on Friday at the Caglayan courthouse, are students, while eight are journalists.
The accusations brought against them include participation in illegal demonstrations following a repression of public rallies and not to disperse despite the warnings.
He marked the first trial of those arrested during rallies. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said 819 people will be tried in 20 criminal surveys.
The sanctions for charges vary from six months to five years’ imprisonment, according to Human Rights Watch.
A student from the University of Istanbul, who was arrested for participating in demonstrations in the Saraçhane district in Istanbul and spent 20 days in prison, told BBC Turkish: “I hope they will come back from this shame as soon as possible and decide today to pay everyone.”
A second -year student from Mimar Sinan University, whose hearing was planned, said: “We have no fear, we are not we who should be afraid.”
According to information provided to BBC Turkish by parents Solidarity Network (PSN), which was created by students of students, most of the people arrested after March 19 have been released in recent days, but fifty students remain in detention.
Before the start of Friday’s hearings, the member of the PSN, Avni Gündoğan, said: “Our children were involved in a democratic, peaceful and legitimate action, they fought for this country to be a free and democratic country.”
The father of Yğmur Gündoğan, who was arrested, taken to Silivri prison and recently released, “said:” We supported our children and we will continue to do so.
“The first hearing begins today. We want justice and a fair trial for our children.”
Journalists – including the journalist of the AFP French news agency Yasin Akgül – were also detained to “participate in unarmed meetings and marches against the law and not to disperse by themselves despite the warnings”.
Friday, lawyer Veysel OK asked the judge to pay them on the grounds that they reported, not participating in the demonstrations, reported the AFP news agency.
While the request was rejected, the Turkish of journalists Union (TGS) declared on social networks that the files of eight journalists had been separated from those of the students.
İMamoğlu had to go to the presidency in the 2028 elections. His supporters saw his arrest as a political decision by Erdoğan.
Despite the governor of Istanbul declaring a ban on demonstrations and rallies throughout the province, hundreds of thousands of people participated in the demonstrations.
Since March 19, police have held nearly 2,000 people – including many university students.
