Conspirators Sentenced in Turkey

A local court in Izmir, Turkey, handed down sentences on Monday for a handful of defendants involved in a failed coup attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Several high-ranking Turkish military officials along with a journalist and a lawyer were given life sentences. The case has enraged human rights activists who say the government is unfairly rounding up political opponents. The court closed off the proceedings to the families of the accused while security blocked off access to the courthouse. Demonstrators clashed with police, who fired tear gas into the crowd. Seventeen of the 275 defendants were acquitted.