An request to free Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from prison till the conclusion of his corruption trial was denied by Turkish judges on Monday, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. Imamoglu, a well-known opposition leader and a major opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade reign, was arrested on March 19 and formally imprisoned four days later on allegations of terrorism and corruption. Nearly 2,000 people were arrested for participating in the largest protests to hit Turkey in almost a decade.
Most people believe that Imamoglu’s arrest was made for political reasons in advance of the 2028 presidential race, however it may happen sooner. According to the Turkish government, the judiciary functions autonomously and free from political influence. Imamoglu’s imprisonment will remain in place after the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance rejected his attorneys’ arguments on Monday, according to Anadolu.
The mayor’s attorneys had contended that the Imamoglu probe was carried out against the law. The appeals request is anticipated to be renewed. The court also denied pleas for Murat Ongun, a close Imamoglu assistant and the chairman of a media organization connected to the Istanbul municipality, as well as other suspects who were detained with the mayor on corruption-related accusations.
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