ANKARA, March 23. /TASS/. The criminal court in Istanbul has chosen arrest as a preventive measure for the mayor of the city Ekrem Imamoglu, and he will soon be taken to prison, the A haber TV channel reported.
By ruling this, the court granted the prosecutor's request to take the mayor into custody.
Imamoglu is charged in two cases related to corruption in the mayor's office and aiding terrorism respectively. As the court noted, he was arrested in the corruption case. Meanwhile, the prosecution's motion lists charges of "aiding an armed terrorist organization," "creating a criminal organization," "falsifying tender results," "bribery."
The court decision states that in the terrorism case Imamoglu has been released subject to judicial control.
Along with the mayor, several dozen other people were arrested, including high-ranking city hall employees, his adviser Murat Ongun, and the head of the Istanbul Sisli district municipality, Emrah Sahan. Some of the suspects were released subject to judicial control or on bail. A total of 92 people are involved in corruption and terrorism cases.
The current decision on arrest is not final. Imamoglu and other defendants have the right to appeal the preventive measure within two weeks. If the court does not satisfy the appeal, the accused have the right to appeal to the next court, including the Constitutional Court.
The court noted that according to the law, in the event of arrest under articles on corruption, the accused can be held in custody for up to two years pending the preparation of the indictment and trial. In the case of Imamoglu, this could mean the risk of him losing his mayoral seat, and the authorities could appoint external management to the mayor's office until new elections are held.
Imamoglu is considered the main political rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, and according to a number of polls, his chances of winning if he participates in the presidential elections are very high.
On Sunday, the opposition Republican People's Party, which Imamoglu represents, began collecting signatures as part of the primaries to approve a candidate for participation in the presidential elections. Imamoglu is the only contender. The elections are not scheduled until 2028, but the possibility of early voting is being discussed in the country.