Kenan Evren the 94 year old Turkish former General and President of Turkey, assumed as a result of leading the 1980 military coup is to stand trial along with another surviving leader Tahsin Sahinkaya of the bloody coup for executions, mass arrests and crackdowns on political freedoms during his reign. A court in Ankara has began hearing the case against the former dictator where he will be held to account for his actions despite having declared he would prefer to suicide than appear before the court. Evren is in poor health and his testimony is anticipated to be heard via a video hookup in lieu of his appearance before the court. On the first day of the trial, protestors gathered outside of the court calling for justice at this historic moment 30 years after the events, given the trial could not commence without a constitutional amendment to overturn his immunity from prosecution taking place in 2010. During Evren’s three year reign half a million people were arrested, fifty executed and many hundreds dying while in prison or just tortured and disappearing.
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