DIYARBAKIR, Turkey - A Turkish court on Friday (Sept 13) jailed pending trial the mother and brother of a murdered eight-year-old girl whose body was found in a sack hidden under rocks in a case that horrified the nation and triggered protests since her disappearance three weeks ago.

President Tayyip Erdogan has said he would seek the most severe punishment for those responsible for the death of Narin Guran, whose body was found in a village near Diyarbakir, the largest city in southeast Turkey.

Prosecutors at a Diyarbakir court charged the girl's mother and brother of participating in the murder, while six people including an uncle and cousins were charged with destroying evidence. Another uncle was earlier charged with murder.

Political parties and women's groups have held protests in various cities across Turkey to demand justice for Guran, whose murder triggered an outpouring of shock on social media, especially because of the number of relatives allegedly involved in her killing.

Guran went missing on Aug. 21 from her village, some 10 km south of Diyarbakir. Her body was found in a sack hidden under rocks in a nearby stream on Sept 8.

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