First court hearing on the murder of Özgecan Aslan, the 20-year-old woman who was brutally killed by a minibus driver in Mersin on 11 February, started this morning in Tarsus 1st High Criminal Court.  Özgecan’s murder had sparked a wave of anger earlier this year, propelling hundreds of thousands of people to take to the streets and protest femicides in Turkey.

Ahmet Suphi Altındöken, the minibus driver who had confessed to the murder, Ahmet’s father Necmettin Altındöken and friend Fatih Gökçe are the tree suspects of the brutal murder and have all appeared in court today.

As many as 1,000 lawyers poured into the city and requested to take part in the trial to represent Özgecan Aslan as co-plaintiffs. However only 100 lawyers were allowed to enter the court hall due to capacity limitations. Hundreds of lawyers and NGO representatives were taken to another hall and are currently following the hearing through an audio-visual system. As the hearing continues, numerous women’s organisations are protesting against Özgecan’s killing and demanding justice Özgecan in front of the courthouse.

Protesting women are carrying photos of Özgecan and frequently chanting slogans such as “Femicides are political”, “We are not mourning, we are rebelling”, “Men murder, the state protects them.”