İmamoğlu Completes Defense at 101st Hearing in Istanbul 33rd Heavy Penal Court

Ekrem İmamoğlu completed his defense over four days at the 101st hearing on October 17 in the İBB case, where 436 defendants, 53 of them in custody, are being tried at the Silivri Marmara Closed Penal Institution compound. Istanbul's 33rd Heavy Penal Court is hearing the case at the same compound.

In his defense, İmamoğlu explained that local administrations would be strengthened within the framework of transparency and accountability principles; he argued that the government's aim is not merely to neutralize him, but to nullify the will of the people.

In custody since March 23, 2024, İmamoğlu addressed the court panel, asking whether certain decisions had been written before the proceedings began. "I have not been, and will not be, a figurant in a process that has no legal or moral legitimacy," he said.

In the initial indictment, İmamoğlu faced demands for imprisonment ranging from 849 to 2,430 years; in an additional indictment related to Ağaç A.Ş., prosecutors are seeking additional sentences ranging from 62 to 168 years. The charges include forming a criminal organization, bribery, bid rigging, and fraud causing public loss.

İmamoğlu also faced a ruling by the Istanbul Election Board in a case seeking to annul the 2019 Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality elections, during which he had also questioned court independence.