Massive Indictment Against İmamoğlu: Imprisonment Exceeding Two Thousand Years

The Istanbul High Criminal Court accepted on Tuesday the indictment filed against former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which calls for his imprisonment for up to 2,352 years.

1. Indictment Details and Alleged Crimes

• Defendants: The indictment names İmamoğlu, who was removed from his post as Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, along with 402 suspects, 105 of whom are currently detained.

• Main Charges: İmamoğlu was accused of crimes including "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime, bribery, laundering criminal proceeds, and defrauding public institutions and organizations."

• As Organization Leader: As the founder and leader of the organization, he faces additional charges, including:

  • Recording, obtaining, and disseminating personal data.

  • Concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communications.

  • Damaging public property, receiving bribes, and publicly spreading misleading information.

  • Extortion, fraud against public institutions, money laundering, and tender manipulation.

• Additional Crimes: The indictment, which covers 142 lawsuits, also requests punishment for crimes related to "deliberate environmental pollution, violating the Tax Procedure Law, the Forestry Law, and the Mining Law."

2. Background and Detention

• Detention: İmamoğlu has been in custody since March on corruption charges, which he vehemently denies.

• Public Reaction: His arrest in March, based on allegations of corruption and links to terrorism, led thousands of people to take to the streets in Turkey’s largest demonstrations in over a decade.