Istanbul court prepares for hearings in Imamoglu case

Istanbul’s High Criminal Court has accepted an indictment against former mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who faces between 828 and 2,352 years in prison. Turkey’s TRT reported that the date of the first hearing will be announced soon.

More than 400 suspects are charged in the corruption case involving Istanbul’s municipality, with 105 currently in detention. Prosecutors say Imamoglu led a “profit-oriented criminal organization.”

The indictment lists 142 counts, including forming a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering, fraud against state institutions, violations involving personal data, concealing evidence and bid-rigging.

The first hearing is expected to take place inside the Silivri prison complex, where Imamoglu is held. He has called for the session to be broadcast live on state TV, a proposal backed by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli.

Imamoglu was detained on March 19 on charges of corruption and terrorism links and formally arrested on March 23. His detention sparked opposition protests in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. CHP leader Özgür Özel said the party had collected more than 20 million signatures for his release and continues to support him as the opposition’s presidential candidate.