Istanbul prosecutor taken hostage in courthouse

A group of militants on Tuesday took a prosecutor hostage at an Istanbul courthouse in connection with the death of a teenager as a result of a fatal head injury during a police crackdown on protestors two years ago, a media report said.

The members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front are believed to have taken prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz hostage at Istanbul's Palace of Justice, which was inaugurated in 2011 as Europe's largest courthouse.

A photo showing a person pointing a gun at Kiraz against the backdrop of the outlawed organisation's flag has been posted on social media websites, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The militants have demanded that the police officers suspected of killing Berkin Elvan, 15, should be made to confess their "crime" and prosecuted. They have also demanded the acquittal of all people being tried for participation in solidarity rallies for Elvan, according to the report. 

Elvan died on March 11, 2014, 269 days after he went into coma after being hit by a tear-gas canister during a protest in Istanbul's Okmeydani neighbourhood.
Kiraz was appointed as the prosecutor of the controversial case six months ago.