Newsletters
An Istanbul appeals court has upheld a prison sentence against former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Friday for insulting members of Türkiye's Supreme Election Board, a decision that could affect his political future.
The Istanbul Regional Court of Justice confirmed the 2 years, 7 months and 15 days prison sentence originally handed down by a lower court in Dec. 2022. Imamoglu was convicted of "publicly insulting public officials working as a board due to their duties" following comments he made during a November 2019 press conference.
The appeals court ruled that the lower court's decision contained no procedural or substantive legal violations, though it noted a calculation error in the original sentencing. The court stated that while the evidence and procedures were properly evaluated, there was a miscalculation that resulted in the sentence being set at 2 years, 7 months and 15 days instead of 1 year, 19 months and 15 days.
The appeals court rejected Imamoglu's challenge to the conviction, though the case can still be appealed to Türkiye's Court of Cassation, the country's highest criminal court, which will make the final determination.
The case originated from remarks Imamoglu made about Supreme Election Board (YSK) officials after the controversial 2019 Istanbul mayoral election. Imamoglu initially won the March 31, 2019 election, but the result was annulled on May 6. He won again in a repeat election held in June 2019.
The Criminal Court of First Instance in Anadolu district had found Imamoglu guilty of making insulting statements about then-YSK Chairman Sadi Guven and 10 board members during his press conference on Nov. 4, 2019.
1 min read
Beyond the prison term, the conviction also strips Imamoglu of certain civic rights, including the right to vote and be elected, under Article 53/1 of the Turkish Criminal Code. The prosecution had originally sought a sentence ranging from 1 year, 3 months and 15 days to 4 years and 1 month in prison for what it characterized as a chain of insults against the election board officials.
Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has been a prominent figure in Turkish politics since his victory in Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic center. The conviction could potentially bar him from holding elected office if upheld by the highest court.
4 min read
