The charges stem from remarks İmamoğlu made during a press conference held in Saraçhane on January 27, titled “The bigger issue.” Neither İmamoğlu, who remains in detention, nor his lawyers attended the hearing.
İmamoğlu issued a statement on social media, describing the hearing as procedurally flawed and saying, “I refuse to be part of such a process.”
His legal team also criticized the relocation of the hearing to a prison complex 110 kilometers away, with only 23 hours’ notice, calling it unlawful.
The court decided to postpone the hearing. A new date has yet to be announced.
Background of the case
At the center of the case is İmamoğlu’s claim, made during the January 27 press conference, that an expert involved in municipal-related investigations had previously been tried for submitting a fake report. He said, “The prosecutors must surely be aware of this.”
Following this statement, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office swiftly launched an investigation against İmamoğlu. That same week, Suat Toktaş, a Halk TV executive who aired a phone conversation involving the same expert, was arrested. He now faces charges of “recording and disclosing private conversations” and “attempting to influence an expert witness.”
There are currently six open investigations open against İmamoğlu, four of which have turned into a trial so far.
(EMK/DT)
