The first hearing of the trial on the murder of Tahir Elçi, President of Amed Bar Association, opened today at Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court.

4 defendants, 3 of them police, are on trial.

Defendant police officers F.T., S.T. and M.S. are free and face charges of "causing death by culpable negligence" carrying a sentence of between 3 and 9 years in prison.

Fugitive defendant Uğur Yakışır is accused of having killed Elçi and police officers Cengiz Erdur and Ahmet Çiftaslan and faces three aggravated life sentences and up to 45 years in prison.

Before the hearing, the front of the courthouse was closed with a police barricade. In the courthouse, dozens of riot police with helmets and batons waited in the corridor of the courtroom, and many policemen were in the courtroom itself.

In addition to the Elçi Family, the following people and institutions came to the courthouse: " HDP MPs Hişyar Özsoy, Necdet Ipekyüz, Dersim Dağ, Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, CHP deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Independent Deputy Ahmet Şık, the European Union Delegation to Turkey member Sema Kılıçer, presidents of the bars of Amed, Istanbul, Izmir, Mardin, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Adana, Batman, Urfa, Siirt and Sirnak as well as numerous human rights activists."

However, only 88 people were allowed in court together with the court board. Elçi's lawyers and the complainants Türkan Elçi attended the hearing, where the defendants and their lawyers were expected to attend via Audio and Video Information System (SEGBIS). Before the hearing, Cihan Aydın, President of the Amed Bar Association, submitted a list to the court for 64 lawyers to take part to the hearing. It drew attention that 20 riot police were present in the courtroom.

On the other hand, before the hearing, a list of names was requested from the members of the press to follow the case.

The court board allowed only pro-government media figures to follow the hearing. Bar association presidents, who oppose this selection, met with the court board.