The trial of Akram Imamoglu, the former mayor who was removed, began Monday in Istanbul, nearly a year after his arrest. Imamoglu faces serious charges that could lead to him being imprisoned for more than two thousand years, according to the request of the Public Prosecution.
According to the official Anadolu Agency, Imamoglu, who is considered a prominent opposition figure to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, faces multiple charges that include establishing and leading a criminal organization, in addition to receiving bribes and money laundering.
The courtroom in Istanbul witnessed a loud applause for İmamoğlu when he entered, but he was prevented from giving his opening speech before the court and the other defendants. Strict security measures have been taken in the hall.
According to the German News Agency, some attendees expressed their solidarity with Imamoglu by chanting.
The judge later announced a break for approximately two hours in order to calm the tension that prevailed in the session, which Imamoglu criticized.
It is noteworthy that this case includes 407 defendants, including 105 in pretrial detention.
The list of defendants also includes Imamoglu’s lawyer and his official spokesman, in addition to a number of journalists, including Rushin Shakir, who is considered one of the most prominent critical liberal voices in Türkiye.
Human rights organizations describe this trial as politically motivated.
For her part, Dilek Imamoglu, Akram Imamoglu’s wife, told the German News Agency that she sees this trial as not just a personal issue, but rather as a decisive test for the rule of law in the country.
It is worth noting that Imamoglu, who belongs to the Republican People’s Party, the main opposition party, is the party’s candidate for the presidential elections and one of President Erdogan’s most prominent rivals.
