Overview
- The first mass trials have started for 189 individuals arrested during protests triggered by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s March 19 detention on corruption charges.
- Defendants, including students, journalists, and activists, face charges such as participating in banned protests, failing to disperse, and incitement to commit a crime.
- Human Rights Watch condemned the trials as politically motivated, citing insufficient evidence and violations of democratic norms.
- The Istanbul prosecutor's office plans to prosecute over 819 people in connection with the protests, which saw nearly 2,000 detentions and marked Turkey's largest demonstrations in over a decade.
- Supporters, including families and opposition lawmakers, gathered outside the courthouse, demanding justice and denouncing the crackdown on dissent.