ISTANBUL — A terrorism court in Turkey sentenced 151 people to life in prison Thursday in one of the most important trials arising from the failed 2016 military coup.

Those sentenced included the accused ringleaders — generals and other military officers who seized control of the General Staff headquarters on the night of the coup and took prisoner Gen. Hulusi Akar, who was then Chief of the General Staff and is now Turkey’s Defense Minister.

Turkish media reported that 128 people received “aggravated life” sentences, which indicates harsh conditions without parole, for their role in the coup, with another 23 receiving standard life sentences. Many of the defendants were given multiple life sentences for crimes ranging from murder to attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

Turkey has been convulsed for the last three years in the aftermath of the July 15, 2016 coup that left over 250 people dead, most of them civilians who went to the streets to face down the military.