Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday filed 142 charges against jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, potentially exposing him to a sentence of up to 2,532 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Imamoglu, who has been imprisoned for nearly eight months since his arrest and suspension from office in March, is widely viewed as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest political challengers.
What Is Imamoglu Accused Of?
According to a nearly 4,000-page indictment, prosecutors allege a wide range of crimes, including running a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement, extortion, and tender rigging.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) member remains in pre-trial detention on corruption charges. He is also serving a separate sentence of one year and eight months for allegedly insulting and threatening Istanbul’s chief prosecutor.
His arrest in March triggered massive protests.
Host of Legal Proceedings Against Imamoglu
The corruption charges against Ekrem Imamoglu, which he has firmly denied, represent only one of several ongoing legal cases targeting the Istanbul mayor.
Last month, prosecutors also filed espionage charges, accusing him of sharing personal data of Istanbul residents to secure foreign funding for his presidential campaign.
In addition, Imamoglu faces allegations of insulting the chief prosecutor and forging diploma documents.
Critics argue that these cases form part of a broader attempt to sideline him following his party’s strong showing in last year’s local elections.
Meanwhile, the government maintains that Turkey’s judiciary is independent and that all investigations seek only to uncover corruption or other misconduct.
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