An Istanbul court has issued arrest warrants for five suspects on trial over protests at Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University over the appointment of a government loyalist rector, T24 news site reported on Monday.
The suspects are among 97 people in the trial accused of ‘’violating the law on meetings and demonstrations,’’ in connection to protests that began in January 2020 over the appointment of Melih Bulu at the prestigious university by presidential decree.
Prosecutors are seeking up to three years in prison for the 97 suspects on trial, T24 said, citing the indictment prepared against them.
Monday’s hearing in the case saw a number of suspects in the case state their defence, T24 said.
Bulu’s appointment sparked months of protests and hundreds of arrests. The demonstrations spilled outside of campus, to the streets of Istanbul and other metropolitan cities, receiving the backing of government opponents and supporters of broader LGBTQ rights.
Students and faculty objected to Bulu’s appointment on grounds that he was linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). They also maintain his appointment was undemocratic. Bulu was removed from the post in July.
Another 14 students from the university are facing jail sentences in a separate trial over pacification in the protests. Two of them were released on Friday, after spending three months in jail pending trial.
Ahval