WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Dozens of people, including journalists, appeared before a court in Istanbul on Friday, April 18. They were accused of attending a banned demonstration and disobeying police orders to disperse during anti-government protests sparked by the jailing of 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 a few days later on corruption charges.
His detention was widely seen as politically motivated and sparked protests across the country. The government insists that Turkey's judiciary is independent and that courts operate independently without government interference.
A total of 189 defendants, mostly students, began their defense on charges of participating in banned protests and disobeying orders to disperse. Some were also charged with carrying weapons.
Four photojournalists and three journalists who covered the demonstrations were also on trial. However, the court decided on Friday to separate their case from the main trial.
The defendants are among more than 2,000 people detained for taking part in the country's largest mass demonstrations in more than a decade.
Lawyers had sought an acquittal for all 189 defendants during the preliminary hearing.
