Turkey has held the first hearing in the trial of more than two dozen anti-government protesters, a process Amnesty International has denounced as a "show trial".
Twenty-six members of the Taksim Solidarity umbrella group, including doctors, architects and engineers, face lengthy prison terms for their part in leading the protests a year ago, with the prosecutor calling for 13-year jail terms for the five main suspects.
The charges include founding a criminal syndicate, violating public order and organising illegal protests through social media.
Last year's protests began as a small environmental movement to stop the redevelopment of the city's Gezi Park and quickly blew up into wider nationwide demonstrations against the perceived authoritarianism of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"You cannot found a criminal organisation by saying 'I don't want a shopping mall'. It is a very ridiculous charge," one of the key accused, Mucella Yapici, head of the Istanbul chamber of architects, told the court.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 21.
The protests left at least eight people dead and some 8000 injured after a brutal police crackdown.
"They have submitted as evidence a picture of me shouting for help while police fired tear gas in my face," Yapici said in a speech that drew cheers from those in court.
"We started a resistance which was exemplary to the world, which was very peaceful.
"But we faced increasing violence each time we took the streets."
Outside the court, a crowd waved banners in support of the defendants.
Amnesty International urged the Turkish authorities to abandon what it called "a vindictive, politically motivated show trial without a shred of evidence of actual crimes".
"The prosecution has concocted a case simply to send a strong message to the rest of Turkey that the authorities will ruthlessly pursue anyone who dissents and organises protests against government policies."
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