
Turkish court orders Istanbul mayor Imamoglu jailed pending trial
Al Jazeera
Court orders Imamoglu, a key rival to President Erdogan, jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges.
A Turkish court has formally placed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu under arrest pending trial on corruption charges, days after his detention triggered mass protests across the country.
The court said Imamoglu and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation. A separate ruling on a terror-related investigation has yet to be issued.
The court decided to release the mayor under judicial control measures over a separate terror-related charge, broadcasters Halk TV and AHaber reported, potentially blocking the government from appointing a trustee to run the country’s largest city.
The mayor, a key opposition figure and potential challenger to longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday by the government for alleged corruption and “terrorism”.
Imamoglu has denied all the charges describing them as part of a “smear campaign”.