Judicial officials in Turkey have rejected an appeal seeking the release of former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu pending the outcome of his trial for corruption, state-run media reported.
Mr Imamoglu, a prospective challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in presidential elections set for 2028, was detained on March 19 and formally held on corruption charges four days later. His arrest and subsequent removal from office have triggered protests in Turkey.
Critics of Mr Erdogan say Mr Imamoglu’s arrest is politically motivated because he is widely seen as the Turkish leader’s strongest opponent. Government officials deny the accusation and say the rule of law is being applied.
On Monday, the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance rejected an appeal submitted by Mr Imamoglu’s lawyers, deciding that his detention should continue, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
His lawyers had argued that the investigation into his case was conducted in breach of legal standards. They are expected to renew their request for an appeal.
The court also rejected appeals requests for Murat Ongun – the chairman of a media company affiliated with the Istanbul municipality and an aide of Mr Imamoglu – along with appeals for the release of other suspects who were arrested on corruption charges, Anadolu said.
Mr Imamoglu is being held at a prison west of Istanbul. He is accused of accepting bribes, misconduct in office, unlawfully recording personal data and bid rigging. He denies the charges.
On the day of his arrest, Mr Imamoglu’s Republican People's Party chose him as its candidate to stand for president in 2028. He was re-elected to lead Istanbul last year for a second term, beating a candidate from Mr Erdogan’s ruling AKP.
Mr Imamoglu has also been stripped of his university degree, complicating his ability to run in future national leadership elections, although he can appeal against the move. Turkey's constitution requires the president to have a tertiary education.
