Istanbul mayor part of 400-person corruption trial in Turkey
Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, 55, was arrested last year after announcing he planned to run for president. He is being held in a high-security prison in Istanbul.
The mass trial has drawn criticism for being politically motivated. Imamoglu has been viewed as a political challenger to Erdoğan.
Human Rights Watch called the trial a way for Turkish authorities to "undermine democracy."
Lead prosecutor Akın Gürlek was appointed Turkey's justice minister, the head of the nation's judiciary, last month.
İmamoğlu was backed by the Republican People's party, Turkey's largest opposition party. Upon the announcement of his candidacy, Istanbul University invalidated his diploma. A diploma is a requirement for Turkey's president.
Accusations of corruption against İmamoğlu go as far back as 2014. Prosecutors say the country has lost 160 billion lira, about $3.6 billion, due to criminal activities committed by the mayor. He faces 1,900 years in prison.
In February, İmamoğlu was charged for allegedly leaking voter data to foreign countries.
İmamoğlu and the Republican People's party have denied all allegations.
The arrest of İmamoğlu sparked protests in Istanbul with hundreds arrested for demonstrating.
Protests have been banned near the courthouse.
No comments:
Post a Comment