DEMOCRACY went on trial in Turkey today as the hearing against 108 leading figures in the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) opened in Ankara.

The day started with police violence against journalists Selman Guzelyuz and Diren Yurtsever, who were removed from the courtroom under instructions not to allow the Mesopotamia Agency to cover the trial.

More theatrics followed as more than 100 lawyers were blocked from taking their seats in court, their places filled by riot police. The action triggered a mass walkout, leaving the judges in a room devoid of either defendants or legal representatives.