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The first hearing in the trial of detained former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was held on Thursday. Still, it was postponed after neither Imamoglu nor his lawyers attended the session. The court rescheduled the trial for Sept. 26.
Imamoglu is facing charges of “attempting to influence a judicial expert or witness” and “attempting to interfere with a fair trial” over remarks he made during a press conference on Jan. 27 at the Sarachane municipal building.
He was scheduled to appear before a judge today at the courtroom inside Marmara Prison in Silivri.
However, the location of the hearing was unexpectedly changed to Silivri just one day prior, prompting Imamoglu and his legal team to boycott the session. In a statement shared on social media, Imamoglu declared, “Today’s hearing is illegitimate and does not comply with the principles of due process. I refuse to be part of such a proceeding and therefore will not attend.”
Following the no-show, the court ordered that Imamoglu be forcibly brought to the next session and issued an official request to the prison administration where he is currently being held.
Imamoglu, a key political figure and frequent critic of the government, has been in pretrial detention as the case has drawn national and international attention. Critics argue the charges are politically motivated.
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