Dozens of people, including journalists, appeared in a courthouse in Istanbul on Friday to attend the banned demonstrations and accused them of refusing police orders during the anti-government protests sparked by the imprisonment of city opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoguru.
Imamogul is considered the main challenger to Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule, and was arrested on March 19th and imprisoned on corruption a few days later.
His imprisonment has been widely regarded as politically motivated and sparked nationwide protests. The government argues that Turkish judiciary is independent and the courts are free to operate.
A total of 189 defendants, most of the university students, have begun defending accusations of participating in banned protests and participating in violation of the dissolution order. Some have also been charged with carrying their arms.
Four photojournalists and three journalists who reported on the protest were also on trial. However, the court decided on Friday to separate their case from the main trial.
The defendant is one of more than 2,000 people detained for participating in the nation’s largest mass demonstrations for more than a decade.
During the opening hearing, the lawyers demanded acquittal of all 189 defendants.
Among the defendants was Delin Degas Kus, an Istanbul University student who was detained from his home on March 24th and released from prison along with dozens of other students last week.
Their release followed a coordinated effort by parents to free their children by staying up daily vigils outside the Silibri prison west of Istanbul.
“I spent 18 days at Silibri prison and was released today a week ago,” Degas Kus said. “We all missed the exams. Some people lost their jobs.”
“This is not a legal process, it’s a process in which the law is trampled,” she added.
Another defendant’s father, Avni Gandogan, was among the hundreds of people gathered outside the court to assist the students.
“They engaged in democratic, peaceful and legitimate activities. They exercised their constitutional rights and their rights were violated,” Gandogan said. “We ask the children to be acquitted.”
