Istanbul Mayor Receives New Jail Term for Alleged Insult of Prosecutor
Ekrem Imamoglu Sentenced to One Year and Eight Months in Prison
An Istanbul court has sentenced Ekrem Imamoglu, the city's mayor and a key opposition figure to President Tayyip Erdogan, to an additional prison term.
State broadcaster TRT reported that Imamoglu was given a one-year and eight-month sentence for allegedly insulting and threatening the chief Istanbul prosecutor.
This verdict extends the ongoing legal crackdown on the opposition by the Turkish government.Imamoglu, who is currently in jail pending trial for separate corruption charges since March, faces another prison term following this latest ruling.
The court's decision must be confirmed by two appeals courts before becoming final.This is not Imamoglu's first conviction for insulting public officials; he was previously sentenced in 2022 to two years and six months in prison for criticizing election board officials over their decision to cancel the 2019 Istanbul elections, where he defeated the ruling AK Party candidate.
He has appealed this sentence, but it remains unreviewed.Imamoglu denies all charges against him, stating that he is fighting against the abuse of the judiciary as a political tool.
If the 2022 conviction is upheld, it could prevent Imamoglu from participating in future elections.
Additionally, Istanbul University annulled his university diploma in March, which is necessary for standing as a presidential candidate.Since October last year, police have detained over 500 people, with more than 200 of them subsequently jailed pending trial, under investigations into municipalities run by the main opposition CHP, to which Imamoglu belongs.
The CHP denies corruption allegations and claims that these actions are politically motivated attempts by the government to neutralize electoral threats to Erdogan, a charge the government rejects.The hearing for Imamoglu's case took place inside a courthouse-prison complex in Istanbul's Silivri district, known for high-profile and politically sensitive trials where Imamoglu is currently being held.
The ongoing legal actions against opposition figures have raised concerns both domestically and internationally regarding the state of democracy and human rights in Turkey.
State broadcaster TRT reported that Imamoglu was given a one-year and eight-month sentence for allegedly insulting and threatening the chief Istanbul prosecutor.
This verdict extends the ongoing legal crackdown on the opposition by the Turkish government.Imamoglu, who is currently in jail pending trial for separate corruption charges since March, faces another prison term following this latest ruling.
The court's decision must be confirmed by two appeals courts before becoming final.This is not Imamoglu's first conviction for insulting public officials; he was previously sentenced in 2022 to two years and six months in prison for criticizing election board officials over their decision to cancel the 2019 Istanbul elections, where he defeated the ruling AK Party candidate.
He has appealed this sentence, but it remains unreviewed.Imamoglu denies all charges against him, stating that he is fighting against the abuse of the judiciary as a political tool.
If the 2022 conviction is upheld, it could prevent Imamoglu from participating in future elections.
Additionally, Istanbul University annulled his university diploma in March, which is necessary for standing as a presidential candidate.Since October last year, police have detained over 500 people, with more than 200 of them subsequently jailed pending trial, under investigations into municipalities run by the main opposition CHP, to which Imamoglu belongs.
The CHP denies corruption allegations and claims that these actions are politically motivated attempts by the government to neutralize electoral threats to Erdogan, a charge the government rejects.The hearing for Imamoglu's case took place inside a courthouse-prison complex in Istanbul's Silivri district, known for high-profile and politically sensitive trials where Imamoglu is currently being held.
The ongoing legal actions against opposition figures have raised concerns both domestically and internationally regarding the state of democracy and human rights in Turkey.
