Istanbul’s imprisoned Opposition Mayor made an appearance in court on Friday (April 11, 2025) in one of several legal cases filed against him. A large crowd of supporters assembled outside Silivri prison, located west of Istanbul, where the hearing was being held.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been detained at Silivri since March 23. The current case accuses him of threatening a public prosecutor and is one of six cases that precede his arrest last month, which sparked widespread protests across the country.
During the court session, Mr. Imamoglu asserted that he was present in court because he had won three elections against the individual “who believes he owns Istanbul,” in an apparent reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who began his political career as Istanbul’s mayor in the 1990s. Erdogan played a significant role in supporting his party’s candidates against Imamoglu.
Imamoglu’s wife and son, along with lawmakers from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), were reportedly present at the hearing, as stated by Halk TV and other media outlets. The case has been postponed to June 16.
The mayor, who is also the primary opposition contender against Erdogan’s 22-year reign in the upcoming elections, is facing over seven years in prison and a political prohibition for allegedly “targeting, threatening, and insulting individuals involved in the fight against terrorism.”
The charges stem from remarks he made on Jan. 20 criticizing Istanbul’s Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek over legal cases brought against other opposition figures.
Imamoglu was arrested on March 19 in connection with two investigations, one focusing on corruption within the Istanbul municipality and another alleging ties to terrorism in his party’s electoral alliance with pro-Kurdish politicians.
Protests demanding his release and an end to Turkey’s democratic regression under Erdogan resulted in approximately 2,000 individuals being detained for participating in unauthorized demonstrations.
While in custody, the mayor was officially nominated as the CHP’s presidential candidate. The elections are scheduled for 2028 but could potentially occur earlier, with Imamoglu’s imprisonment widely perceived as politically motivated, although the government maintains that Turkey’s judiciary is impartial and free from political influence.
Additionally, on Friday, two other courts in Istanbul were conducting hearings on cases against Imamoglu.
One case involves bid-rigging dating back a decade when he served as mayor of Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district. The other case alleges illegal fundraising and is based on a video circulated prior to last year’s local elections showing CHP staff counting stacks of cash.
Published – April 11, 2025 06:01 pm IST
