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Istanbul’s mayor goes on trial with some 400 defendants in corruption case
Ekrem Imamoglu and over 400 co-defendants face charges including graft and espionage with prosecutors seeking prison terms exceeding 2,000 years, amid claims of political motivation.
- On March 9, Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul mayor , goes on trial at the Silivri prison complex as chief suspect among more than 400 defendants tied to the Istanbul municipality.
- Human Rights Watch's Benjamin Ward argued prosecutors seem to be targeting Imamoglu and the CHP, while Gurlek said he acted without bias, according to Friday reports.
- A January court ruling rejected Imamoglu's lawsuit challenging his university degree, affecting his eligibility, while he has been held at Silivri for almost a year as prosecutors seek prison sentences totaling hundreds of years.
- The trial could derail Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul mayor's presidential ambitions as he seeks to challenge Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, while overshadowing politics ahead of elections expected next year.
- Rights groups and foreign observers warn the prosecutions hurt Turkey's democratic standing, while Akin Gurlek, Justice Minister and former prosecutor, faces impartiality questions critics raise.
130 Articles
130 Articles
Detained for a year, Ekrem Imamoglu is considered one of the few politicians capable of defeating Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for twenty-three years. Arrested for corruption, he faces up to 2,352 years in prison on 142 separate charges.
The prosecution demands more than 2000 years for the Istanbul mayor. The accusation: corruption. The trial is considered politically motivated. On the first day of negotiations there is applause for him and other accused.
"Shameful," the audience shouted as the judge rejected the jailed mayor's request to testify earlier.
Turkey began a massive trial on Monday against former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and 400 others, accused of running a criminal organization that controlled the Turkish metropolis. Read more...
The trial of the former mayor of Istanbul began today. He has been charged with more than 140 offenses and faces a prison sentence of over 2,000 years.
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