Trial of nearly 200 people opens after Turkey protests

Students and journalists are among the 189 people on trial in Istanbul after protests last month.

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Mass demonstrations began on 19 March after Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu - a key rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - was detained on corruption charges, which he denies.

Most of the 189 defendants in the trial, which opened on Friday at the Caglayan courthouse, are students, while eight are journalists.

Charges against them include taking part in illegal protests following a crackdown on public gatherings and failing to disperse despite warnings.

It marks the first trial of those arrested in the rallies. The Istanbul prosecutor's office has said 819 people will be tried in 20 criminal investigations.