Armed militants have taken a chief prosecutor hostage in a court in Istanbul, following the death of a teenage boy in anti-government protests in 2013.

According to The Independent, the men are believed to be members of a banned communist party, the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C).

The captors have posted pictures on social media of a gun being held to chief prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz’s head, with the groups flag in the background.

Reports followed that the government had put a media blackout on the hostage crisis. There were also reports of a massive power outage across the country.

Istanbul-based journalist Abdullah Ayasun tweeted: “Journos rallying to defy media ban through Twitter. Share info on Twitter so we can be informed on recent state of the hostage crisis.”

Tweets reported shots were heard from within the courthouse.

Fifteen-year-old Berkin Elvan died in 2014 months after being hit by a police gas canister fired during nationwide anti-government protests in 2013.