Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Denies Charges of Influencing Judiciary
TL/DR –
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has denied charges of trying to influence Turkiye’s judiciary. Imamoglu is a leading opposition figure and potential challenger to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is facing charges of threatening, insulting and targeting an official, and attempting to influence a trial, related to his criticism of legal cases brought against opposition-run municipalities.
Ekrem Imamoglu Appeals Allegations of Influencing Turkiye’s Judiciary
Opposition figure and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu denies charges that he tried to influence the judiciary in Turkey.
Ekrem Imamoglu, potential contender to Turkey’s President Erdogan, has refuted judicial manipulation accusations in Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse. The charges include insulting and threatening an official and attempting to influence a trial.
“I did not target any individual, I reject the accusations,” Imamoglu stated to prosecutors. The charges are linked to Imamoglu’s critique of legal cases against opposition-run municipalities, including his own Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The case against Imamoglu is the most recent of multiple legal obstacles encountered by opposition politicians in Turkiye, amid deteriorating judicial independence during Erdogan’s tenure.
Imamoglu has already been found guilty of insulting Turkiye’s Supreme Electoral Council members. He’s also facing charges related to alleged bid rigging in a 2015 tender. His conviction could result in a political ban if upheld on appeal.
Supporters rallied outside the courthouse to protest against these legal actions. Riot police blocked a CHP bus from approaching, leading to clashes. Imamoglu later addressed the crowd from the bus’s top at another location.
Ankara’s opposition mayor Mansur Yavas, in support of Imamoglu, condemned the government for turning Turkiye into an “open prison”.
Turkish authorities frequently target dissident journalists, lawyers and elected political officials with criminal charges, particularly since Erdogan’s government faced a failed coup in 2016.
Imamoglu was first elected Istanbul mayor in 2019, repeating his win after the AK Party challenged the initial results. His victory was a setback for Erdogan’s AK Party, which had controlled Istanbul for 25 years.
Imamoglu was re-elected mayor of Turkiye’s largest city last year. Turkish authorities have dismissed several elected CHP and pro-Kurdish party mayors, citing links to “terrorism” investigations.
Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkiye director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the practice of replacing elected mayors with government trustees as undermining democracy.
“This is a major violation of voters’ rights to elect their representatives and free and fair elections,” Sinclair-Webb stated. “These measures continue against elected officials, contradicting any positive resolution to the conflict,” she added.
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