Students and Journalists Stand Trial in Türkiye over Protests Sparked by Mayor’s Arrest

Dozens of people including journalists appeared before a court in Istanbul on Friday, accused of attending banned demonstrations and disobeying police orders to disperse during anti-government protests that were triggered by the jailing of the city’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
Imamoglu, seen as the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed days later on corruption charges, The Associated Press said.
His imprisonment has been widely viewed as politically motivated and sparked nationwide protests. The government insists Türkiye’s judiciary is independent and that the courts operate independently.
A total of 189 defendants, most of them university students, began defending themselves over charges of participating in banned protests and non-compliance with orders to disperse. Some have also been charged with carrying arms.
Four photojournalists and three reporters who were covering the demonstrations were also on trial. The court, however, on Friday decided to separate their case from the main trial.
The defendants are among more than 2,000 people who were detained for taking part in the country’s largest mass demonstrations in more than a decade.