Governor of Turkiye’s Ankara extends protest ban until April 1

Protesters hold a Turkish national flag as they clash with Turkish anti riot police using tear gas and water cannons during a demonstration in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor, in Ankara on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 25 March 2025
Follow

Governor of Turkiye’s Ankara extends protest ban until April 1

ANKARA: The governor of Ankara on Tuesday said he was extending the ban on any form of protest in the Turkish capital until April 1.
The ban would be in place “until 23:59 on April 1,” the statement said.
Protest bans are also in place in Istanbul and the western city of Izmir, but they have been largely ignored with mass demonstrations taking place across the country since the March 19 arrest and subsequent jailing of the country’s main opposition figure.


Swiss bar owner faces prosecutors for second hearing after deadly New Year’s fire

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Swiss bar owner faces prosecutors for second hearing after deadly New Year’s fire

The French couple, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are suspected of crimes including negligent homicide
They have both voiced ⁠grief over the fire, which mostly killed teenagers

GENEVA: The owner of a Swiss bar that caught fire on New Year’s Day, killing 40 people, appeared before prosecutors on Tuesday for a second set of hearings in the criminal investigation, according to a lawyer present.
The French couple, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are suspected of crimes including negligent homicide.
Jacques Moretti, who is currently in police custody, is before prosecutors ⁠on Tuesday in Sion to examine his version of events, Romain Jordan, a lawyer for families of the victims, told Reuters.
Moretti’s wife, who remains free, is due to be heard on Wednesday.
They have both voiced ⁠grief over the fire, which mostly killed teenagers, and said they would cooperate with the probe.
During initial hearings, Jacques Moretti said that a service door at the back of the “Le Constellation” bar was locked shut during the blaze, according to excerpts published by Swiss media.
He said he forced it open from the outside and ⁠found several people lying behind it.
Asked about this testimony, his lawyer Nicola Meier said it was a tragedy but denied it represented a locked emergency exit.
Local authorities for the ski town of Crans-Montana also face scrutiny after missing safety checks. The mayor’s office said it withdrew a request to be a party to the case “out of respect for the victims.”