İmamoğlu testifies over 'Millet Şahidimdir' book: 'Even defending myself is counted as a crime'

The Press Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took the testimony of IBB Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu via SEGBİS. The investigation is being conducted on the allegation of "openly denigrating the Turkish Republic, its Government and judicial organs" on the grounds of statements in the book "Millet Şahidimdir," which was seized while still at the printing stage. It was learned that the Ministry of Justice also granted permission for the investigation.

İmamoğlu argued that the investigation against him and the permission granted by the Ministry were "unfounded." Stating that all the passages quoted from his book fall within the scope of the right to defense, he said: "I look at the quoted passages. All of them are statements that remain within the boundaries of defense."

He recounted that he appeared at the hearing to present his defense within the scope of the IBB case, that the presiding judge cut off his procedural objections, and that a record was drawn up stating that he would not make a defense. Stating that he did not use such a statement, İmamoğlu said he decided to publish as a book the defense he was unable to make.

He reported that the publishing house had obtained the banderoles, that police came to the printing house during printing and that the printing was stopped. He stated that in proceedings initiated on the claim that a book was being printed without banderoles, 22,000 banderoles belonging to his book were found at the printing house. Saying that despite this the investigation turned to the content of the book, İmamoğlu said, "A book was being printed without banderoles. The terrorism prosecutor stepped in," and recounted that the prosecutor ordered a search and the collection of evidence, that the banderoles were found, and that after this the subject of the investigation changed. He reported that police examined the 340-page book and prepared a 15-page record.

Saying "Today, now, 74 separate offenses are being attributed to me with sentences plucked from a book that was never printed," İmamoğlu complained of being unjustly accused and of being held "captive" for nearly two years, and stating that defending himself is counted as a crime and that his defense was even obstructed, he said: "I never accept the accusation."

His lawyer Tora Pekin argued that the seizure decision lacked legal basis and requested that the Constitutional Court's "Hasan Cemal" ruling be taken into account. Pekin asked that Articles 26 and 28 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 128 of the Turkish Penal Code be considered. İmamoğlu had also stated in his statement of 12 November within the scope of the IBB case that an investigation had been launched against him because of his book.