Istanbul:
More than 250 people, including seven foreigners, went on trial in Turkey on Tuesday over mass anti-government protests that rocked the country last year.
The 255 suspects face a range of charges including violating laws on demonstrations, damaging a place of worship and injuring civil servants.
The defendants face up to 12 years in prison if convicted, Abdullah Onur Eyuboglu, one of the defence lawyers told AFP, adding it was unlikely any of them would be given jail sentences.
He said the indictment was "deeply flawed, vague and one-size-fits-all", with all suspects facing the same charges even though the alleged offences took place on different days.
The nationalities of the foreigners were not disclosed.
Local media said some of the suspects submitted their defence on the first day of the trial, with new hearings set to take place three days a week until May 29.
Judges are expected to issue a verdict shortly afterwards.
At least eight people died and 8,000 people were injured when a demonstration to save Istanbul's Gezi Park escalated into nationwide protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen as an increasingly authoritarian leader.
Some protesters had taken refuge in the Dolmabahce mosque on the banks of the Bosphorus near the Ottoman palace which Erdogan uses as his office in Istanbul.
Many were fleeing police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and the mosque was opened so injured protesters could receive medical aid.
Erdogan has accused some demonstrators of entering the mosque armed with beer bottles and wearing shoes -- allegations forming an essential part of the indictment prepared by Istanbul prosecutors.
Several trials related to the protests are already taking place across the country as the first anniversary of the unrest, which erupted on May 31, draws near.
The 255 suspects face a range of charges including violating laws on demonstrations, damaging a place of worship and injuring civil servants.
The defendants face up to 12 years in prison if convicted, Abdullah Onur Eyuboglu, one of the defence lawyers told AFP, adding it was unlikely any of them would be given jail sentences.
He said the indictment was "deeply flawed, vague and one-size-fits-all", with all suspects facing the same charges even though the alleged offences took place on different days.
The nationalities of the foreigners were not disclosed.
Local media said some of the suspects submitted their defence on the first day of the trial, with new hearings set to take place three days a week until May 29.
Judges are expected to issue a verdict shortly afterwards.
At least eight people died and 8,000 people were injured when a demonstration to save Istanbul's Gezi Park escalated into nationwide protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen as an increasingly authoritarian leader.
Some protesters had taken refuge in the Dolmabahce mosque on the banks of the Bosphorus near the Ottoman palace which Erdogan uses as his office in Istanbul.
Many were fleeing police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and the mosque was opened so injured protesters could receive medical aid.
Erdogan has accused some demonstrators of entering the mosque armed with beer bottles and wearing shoes -- allegations forming an essential part of the indictment prepared by Istanbul prosecutors.
Several trials related to the protests are already taking place across the country as the first anniversary of the unrest, which erupted on May 31, draws near.
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