İmamoğlu appears in court over prosecutor remarks

ISTANBUL

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul, appeared in court on April 11 as part of one of several ongoing cases against him.

İmamoğlu has been held at Silivri Prison since March 23. The case alleges that he threatened a public prosecutor and is one of the six that predate his arrest last month, which led to nationwide protests.

Addressing the judge, İmamoğlu said he was in court because he had won three elections against the person “who thinks he owns Istanbul,” a reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The hearing was attended by İmamoğlu’s family, as well as lawmakers from his main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The case was adjourned to June 16.

Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters gathered outside Silivri, west of Istanbul, where the hearing was taking place.

The mayor faces more than seven years in prison and a political ban for allegedly “targeting, threatening and insulting persons working in the fight against terrorism.”

The charge stems from comments he made on Jan. 20 in which he criticized Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek over criminal cases brought against other opposition figures.

İmamoğlu was arrested on March 23 in relation to two investigations, one focusing on corruption in the Istanbul municipality and another alleging terrorism links in his party’s electoral pact.

The mayor was officially nominated as the CHP presidential candidate while in custody. An election is due to be held in 2028 but may come sooner.

Also, on April 11, two other courts in Istanbul were also holding hearings on cases against İmamoğlu. 

One case involves bid-rigging that dates back a decade to his time as mayor of Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü district. The other accuses him of illegally collecting donations, sparked by a video that emerged during last year's local election campaign, which depicted CHP staff counting stacks of cash.