Judge Emirsah Bastog read out guilty verdicts for 42 of the 47 defendants, according to a Reuters reporter at the court in Mugla, southwestern Turkey. “(Several) defendants have been found guilty on the charge of attempting to assassinate the president,” Bastog told the packed courtroom. Others waved Turkish flags, blared a famous song praising Erdogan and called for a return to capital punishment. The government blames the network of Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan, for orchestrating the failed coup. A total of 47 defendants were on trial, 43 of whom have been held in detention during the 7-1/2 month hearing.

Source: bd News24 October 04, 2017 15:00 UTC