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Istanbul’s jailed opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his legal team have boycotted a court hearing on Thursday after they claimed that a late change in venue for the proceedings was “unlawful”.
The case, one of many criminal allegations Imamoglu is facing, was over comments the Istanbul mayor made on an expert witness, over the prosecution of other officials from his Republican People’s Party, or CHP.
In a statement, the CHP said neither Imamoglu nor his legal team would attend Thursday’s hearing due to a change in venue through “unlawful procedures.”
Imamoglu, in a post from jail, described the hearing as “irregular” and said it “does not comply with the principles of the trial. I refuse to be a part of such a process and therefore I will not attend this hearing.”
CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Ozgur Celik posted on X that the mayor’s hearing had been moved from Caglayan courthouse in central Istanbul, to Silivri prison – where Imamoglu is being held – in western Istanbul, only 24 hours earlier.
Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of two to four years and a political ban on charges of “attempting to influence” an expert witness in the case. The hearing was adjourned to 26 September.
Imamoglu was arrested in almost three months ago, alongside other prominent political figures. His home was raided early morning on 19 March, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and links to terror organisations.
His arrest triggered weeks of nationwide protests calling for his release. Protesters believe Imamoglu, seen by many as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival in the next presidential elections, was arrested for political reasons.
The protests, which often turned violent, results in hundreds of arrests, many of whom are also on trial for “inciting violence”. The demonstrations were the biggest Turkey has seen in over a decade.
A conviction in any of the cases Imamoglu is facing could see the Istanbul mayor banned from holding or running for public office.
Additional sources • AP
