The former mayor faces 142 charges, which could lead to a prison sentence ranging from 828 years and two months to 2,352 years.
Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, 2025. He had previously been accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, forming a criminal organization, and aiding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as reported by the newspaper Oksijen.
He is considered one of the key opponents of the current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming 2027 elections. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch characterized his case as a "politically motivated investigation."
Shortly before his arrest, at the request of the Attorney General's Office, Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu's diploma, effectively depriving him of the opportunity to participate in the elections, as the law requires higher education for candidates.
At one of the court hearings in September, the former mayor stated that the indictment was prepared by "a person who knew he would lose the elections," alluding to President Erdogan, according to Turkish media.
