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Turks in Christian murder trial Turks in Christian murder trial
(about 9 hours later)
Five young men are due to go on trial in eastern Turkey, accused of killing three Christians earlier this year. Five men are to go on trial in eastern Turkey, accused of killing three Christians earlier this year.
The Christians, who included a pastor and a German missionary, were stabbed repeatedly and had their throats cut.The Christians, who included a pastor and a German missionary, were stabbed repeatedly and had their throats cut.
The suspects, aged 19 and 20, were detained at the scene of the crime, a Protestant publishing house in Malatya.The suspects, aged 19 and 20, were detained at the scene of the crime, a Protestant publishing house in Malatya.
The murders have prompted three Christian families to leave the town, leaving only around two dozen people in its small Protestant community. The murders prompted three Christian families to leave the town. Germany has accused Turkey of "unacceptable intolerance" towards non-Muslims.
The five suspects face three life sentences each, while two other are charged with membership of a terrorist organisation. Turkey is a candidate for EU membership.
The killings were gruesome, condemned at the time by Turkey's prime minister as savage. The bloc has asked Ankara to protect the human rights of the country's ethnic and religious minorities, as a precondition for membership.
The three Christians had their hands and feet bound. The murder of the Christians in the eastern town of Malatya came months after the killing of the ethnic Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink, and a year after the killing of a Catholic priest in northern Turkey.
They were stabbed repeatedly, then had their throats cut. In all cases, the alleged killers were nationalist-minded young men or even teenagers.
One was a local pastor, another a German missionary who had lived in Turkey with his family for several years. Turkish nationalists often view missionaries as a threat, especially in remote places like Malatya, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul.
The murders came a year after a Catholic priest was killed in northern Turkey and just months after the murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Life sentences
Christians threatened In Malatya, the defendants reportedly told police they were acting to foil a plot to undermine Islam and divide Turkey.
In all cases, the alleged killers have been nationalist-minded young men or even teenagers.
The three victims were found bound by hand and footThe three victims were found bound by hand and foot
In Malatya, the accused claimed to police they were acting to protect Turkey against a plot to undermine Islam and divide the country. The killings were condemned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The state prosecutor has asked for three life sentences for each man charged with murder. One of the victims was a local pastor, another a German missionary who had lived in Turkey with his family for several years.
But a lawyer acting for the victims' families says he is concerned by the tone of the indictment. The five suspects face three life sentences each, while two others are charged with membership of a terrorist organisation.
More than half of the 31 files focus on the missionary work of the men murdered. A lawyer acting for the victims' families says he is concerned by the tone of the indictment against the accused.
They includes contact details of those people they approached. More than half the 31 files in the indictment focus on the missionary work of the men murdered. They includes contact details of people they approached.
The lawyer believes that will help those accused plead provocation.The lawyer believes that will help those accused plead provocation.
There are only around 100,000 Christians left in Turkey, less than 1% of the population. The murder prompted three Christian families to leave Malatya, shrinking the town's Protestant community to about two dozen people. There are only around 100,000 Christians left in Turkey, less than 1% of the population.
But nationalists view missionaries in particular as a threat, especially in remote places like Malatya.