Prosecutor seeks up to 4 years in jail for Istanbul mayor over insult

ANKARA

An Istanbul prosecutor has demanded up to a four-year prison sentence for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu for insulting members of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) following the cancelation of the results for the March 2019 local elections.

At a trial in the absence of İmamoğlu, the prosecutor recalled that a probe was launched on the Istanbul mayor following an official criminal complaint by the YSK in late 2019. According to the legal opinion of the prosecutor, the statements issued by İmamoğlu on Nov. 4, 2019, against the YSK member constituted an offense of libel towards public servants.

He, therefore, asked that İmamoğlu should be punished with a prison sentence of a minimum one year and three months and up to four years and one month.

The indictment stresses that 11 persons, including former President of the YSK, Sadi Güven, were subject to İmamoğlu’s insults. It recalls that the YSK annulled the results of the local elections on May 6, 2019 and then renewed them on Nov 4, 2019.

İmamoğlu directed his insults against YSK members after the results of the renewed polls on Nov. 4, the indictment said.