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Ekrem Imamoglu, who was removed from his position as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayor following his arrest on corruption charges, faces a new indictment seeking up to two years and four months in prison for allegedly insulting a citizen at an aerospace industry fair in October 2024.
The Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed the indictment following a complaint by 25-year-old S. S., who alleged Imamoglu insulted him during an encounter at the Aviation and Space Industry Fair (SAHA EXPO 2024) on Oct. 26, 2024.
According to the indictment, Sahin was speaking to another person about 3-5 meters away from Imamoglu when he said, "He's walking around here, but our soldier became a martyr. What will happen now? Yesterday, he hosted Zeydan in his office."
Upon hearing these remarks, Imamoglu allegedly responded, "Calm down, we'll talk when the time comes. You continue doing politics, my lion. Continue your ugly politics; you are quite ugly."
In his statement included in the indictment, Imamoglu defended his words, saying, "The words spoken are not at a level that would offend the complainant's honor, dignity and reputation.
They are impolite, crude words. I directed the words not at the complainant's person, but at his action."
The prosecutor's office appointed a mediator, as the offense falls under reconciliation procedures, but no agreement was reached between the parties on July 28, according to the report.
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The Bakirkoy 33rd Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment, which seeks a prison sentence ranging from 3 months and 15 days to two years and four months for the "insult" charge.
Prosecutors are also requesting a political ban under Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code, which could bar Imamoglu from political activities if convicted.
Imamoglu, who is currently detained on separate corruption charges related to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, is expected to begin trial on the insult charge in the coming days while remaining in custody.
The new case adds another legal challenge for Imamoglu, who was removed from his position as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayor following his arrest in the corruption investigation.
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