'Politicized' trial begins for Istanbul mayor
Istanbul mayor and Turkish opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu went on trial March 9, accused of establishing an "İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profit" that operated parallel to and was concealed by his official duties.
İmamoğlu faces charges including corruption, defrauding public institutions, bribery, extortion, and laundering proceeds of crime. His case is part of a mass trial involving more than 400 co-defendants, most of whom worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which İmamoğlu has headed since 2019. Other co-defendants include elected officials from İmamoğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP), journalists, and İmamoğlu's lawyer.
Critics of the trial say that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is politically influencing the proceedings as part of a broader judicial campaign intended to impede the CHP's ability to function as an effective opposition party and to prevent İmamoğlu and other CHP officials from exercising their rights to political participation.
In a published statement, İmamoğlu wrote that he is "not being judged fairly in front of an independent and unbiased judiciary." During the hearings, CHP leader Özgür Özel accused the prosecution of acting on Erdoğan's orders, saying that the judges "have already made their verdict." İmamoğlu described the trial as an "attempt to overturn the will of the people" and "one of the toughest tests of democracy" in Türkiye's history.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) raised concerns about Türkiye's abuse of prosecutions and weaponization of the legal apparatus against political opponents. Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights, of which Türkiye is a party, forbids restrictions on rights and freedoms "for any purpose other than those for which they have been prescribed."
İmamoğlu has been targeted by the Turkish judicial system throughout his term as mayor. He was convicted in 2022 for allegedly insulting members of the Supreme Election Council, a conviction currently on appeal before the Court of Cassation. On June 24, 2024, İmamoğlu was indicted for slander, a case that he settled out of court. On Feb. 5, 2025, İmamoğlu was indicted for criticizing Akın Gürlek, the chief prosecutor who directly oversaw the main criminal investigation against him. He was convicted on charges of insulting a public official and making threats after describing Gürlek's "reasoning" as "rotten."
This weeks hearings join a long list of proceedings targeting CHP officials, including other elected mayors. Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was indicted for "membership in an armed organization" on Oct. 30, 2024. Seven CHP mayors have been arrested and detained for charges of criminal activity and corruption, and there is an ongoing criminal case against İmamoğlu and 11 others into claims that they paid people to vote for Özel as party chair secretary at the 2023 party congress.
Benjamin Ward, Europe and Central Asia deputy director at HRW, said that "it's hard to avoid the conclusion that prosecutors are trying to remove İmamoğlu from politics and discredit his party in ways that undermine democracy."
From JURIST, March 10. Used with permission.
See our last report on the crackdown on political opposition in Türkiye.
Prohibition of public from Istanbul mayor trial patently unjust
A prohibition on lawyers, journalists and members of the public from observing the trial of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is arbitrary and unfounded, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said March 23.
Benjamin Ward, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, asserted that the lack of transparency violates İmamoğlu’s right to a fair trial, stating:
In addition to lack of public transparency, the bulk of evidence against İmamoğlu reportedly comes from statements of 15 witnesses whose identities were not disclosed to the defense.
İmamoğlu's trial began on March 9. He is accused of acting as a central figure in a politically motivated mass corruption scheme, facing charges of corruption, bribery, extortion, defrauding public institutions, and laundering proceeds of crime. A total of 407 other municipal officials have also been charged, most of whom worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Some observers have criticized the proceedings as a weaponization of the judicial system by Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is accused of continuing to improperly influence the trial. During hearings, opposition Republican People's Party leader Özgür Özel accused the prosecution of acting on Erdoğan's orders, saying that the judges have already decided the outcome.
Türkiye's constitution establishes that court proceedings should be open to the public unless this would create considerable risks to "public morality or public security." Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights sets out similarly limited circumstances under which the public may be excluded from trials. Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights guarantees a fair hearing before an impartial tribunal. (Jurist)