KAYSERI, Turkey
The first hearing into the death of Ali Ismail Korkmaz, who died in intensive care after being severely beaten by unidentified people during the Gezi Park protests in a central Turkish city, was held on Monday.
The court in the eastern province of Kayseri ruled on the continuation of detention of defendants and adjourned the trial until May 12.
An arrest warrant request for a police officer was rejected.
"Today we have seen a glimmer of hope that Ali's murderers will get punishment," 19-year-old university student Korkmaz's father said after the hearing.
Gezi Park protests last summer began as a small environmental demonstration and grew into nationwide anti-government protests.
The protests erupted after the government moved in May to replace part of a leafy park at the heart of Istanbul with a mall.
The redevelopment plan for the construction of an Ottoman-era barracks on Gezi Park greenery became the cause of demonstrations that saw protesters clash with police in more than a dozen cities and damage to public and private property, according to the Turkish Health Ministry.
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