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Dozens of students and journalists stood trial in Istanbul on Friday, accused of participating in unauthorized demonstrations and defying police orders during widespread protests sparked by the arrest of opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, The Associated Press reported.
Imamoglu, widely seen as the main political challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decades-long rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed days later on corruption charges. His imprisonment ignited some of the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade, with critics calling the case politically motivated.
While the government has said the Turkish judiciary is independent, Imamoglu’s supporters have argued the case is a clear example of judicial overreach intended to sideline political dissent.
A total of 189 defendants, primarily university students, are facing charges that include attending banned protests, refusing to disperse, and in some cases, carrying arms, the report said, adding that the mass trial opened Friday amid tight security and heavy public attention.
According to the report, four photojournalists and three reporters who covered the protests are among those facing charges.
During the initial hearing, defense lawyers demanded full acquittals, arguing the demonstrations were peaceful and constitutionally protected.
“I spent 18 days in the Silivri prison and was released a week ago today,” Derin Dogakus, a 23-year-old student from Istanbul University who was arrested from her home on March 24, told AP, adding, “We all missed our exams. Some lost their jobs.”
“This is not a legal process. It is a process where the law is trampled on,” she reportedly said.
The students are among over 2,000 people who were reportedly detained in connection with the protests. Many have since been released following vigils and pressure from families who gathered daily outside Silivri prison, demanding the release of their children, the report further said.
