Turkey has released over 120 people who were detained during last month’s large-scale anti-government protests. On Thursday, courts in Istanbul granted bail to 127 individuals, the majority of whom were university students. They were arrested on March 24 after participating in demonstrations sparked by the imprisonment of Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition mayor of Istanbul.

Imamoglu, who was arrested on March 19 on charges of corruption and terrorism, is considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-standing rule. His imprisonment has been widely seen as politically motivated, fueling protests across the country. The government, however, insists that Turkey’s judiciary operates independently and without political influence.

Over 2,000 people were detained during the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade, with approximately 300 still in jail awaiting trial. The individuals released on Thursday faced charges related to participating in unauthorized protests. One court released 102 suspects, many of them students with upcoming exams, taking into account the time they had already spent in detention, their low risk of fleeing, and the condition that they do not leave the country. Another 25 people were released on the condition they report to the police regularly. These releases came after a campaign by parents, who held daily vigils outside a prison in Silivri, near Istanbul, calling for the release of their children.

Among those released was Berkay Gezgin, a 22-year-old student and prominent protester. Gezgin had met Imamoglu during his 2019 campaign and popularized the slogan “Everything will be fine,” which Imamoglu later adopted for his campaign.

The trials for the defendants are set to take place in June and September at Istanbul’s Caglayan Courthouse.