On Monday, the 10th Criminal Court of Istanbul rejected the appeal to release the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, whose detention sparked large-scale anti-government protests in Turkey.
The Istanbul court declined to review the pre-trial detention measures against İmamoğlu and his representative, Murat Ongun, and returned the case to the first-instance criminal court.
This court is now tasked with deciding whether to release İmamoğlu and Ongun or keep them in custody.
İmamoğlu has been in detention since March 23 on corruption charges, which he and his supporters claim are politically motivated and part of an attempt to eliminate a rival to the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The mayor’s detention also triggered a wave of mass protests, which the authorities harshly suppressed, arresting nearly two thousand people, including hundreds of students.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has nominated Ekrem İmamoğlu as its candidate for the 2028 presidential elections. The party also encourages a boycott movement against companies and businesses considered close to the Turkish government.
