Istanbul, March 8, (dpa/GNA) – A high-profile trial opens of jailed opposition leader and ousted Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu on Monday, on charges of founding and leading a criminal organization, as well as bribery and money laundering.
The prosecution is seeking more than 2,000 years in prison. Alongside Imamoglu, a prominent opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a total of 407 people have been charged, 105 of whom are in pre-trial detention, according to state news agency Anadolu.
The defendants include Imamoglu’s lawyer, his spokesman and journalists, including Rusen Çakir, one of the country’s most prominent critical liberal voices.
Human rights groups slam the trial as politically motivated. Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek Imamoglu, sees the trial not only as a personal matter, but also an important test for the rule of law in the country, she said in comments to dpa.
Imamoglu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), is the party’s presidential candidate and the strongest rival to Erdogan.
Arrested in March last year on corruption charges, and removed from office as mayor of Istanbul, there are several cases pending against him. His university degree, a prerequisite for presidential candidacy, has also been revoked.
GNA