Prosecutors in Turkey have requested a staggering 2,352 years in prison for opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu, the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu was arrested eight months ago and suspended as mayor of Istanbul. He faces allegations of establishing and leading a criminal organisation, bribery, and money laundering, according to state broadcaster TRT.
CNN Türk reported that the indictment spans 3,900 pages and includes 402 defendants.
The charges against Imamoglu consist of 142 points. However, an attorney for his party has dismissed the accusations as baseless and expressed confidence in an acquittal at the trial’s conclusion.
Imamoglu was arrested in March 2024 under accusations of terrorism and corruption, leading to his removal from the post of mayor and subsequent pretrial detention.
The popular politician's arrest sparked widespread outrage, and provoked the largest protests seen in Turkey in a decade.
Imamoglu has denied all charges outright.
Observers have described the case as an attempt by the government to marginalise Turkey’s strongest opposition party.
At the 2024 municipal elections, Imamoglu’s party, the CHP, emerged as the country’s leading political force. Many interpreted this victory as an indication of impending change that could see Erdogan’s AKP party losing power.
However, the secular CHP has faced mounting pressure since then, with hundreds of its members arrested and 17 of its mayors imprisoned.
The Turkish government has dismissed criticism and maintains that the judiciary operates independently.
Its claims have been questioned by international organisations and the European Commission.
