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JURIST NEWS: WORLD TURKISH NEWS LONDON Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor's Trial Begins Amid Concerns of Political Influence Tony Xun | University of Ottawa Law School, CA March 10, 2026 17:58:16 Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor and Turkish opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu began his trial on Monday, accused of establishing an “Imamoğlu Profit-Seeking Criminal Organization” that operated parallel to and under the guise of his official duties. Imamoğlu faces charges of corruption, defrauding public institutions, bribery, extortion, and money laundering. His case is part of a mass trial involving more than 400 defendants, most of whom worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which İmamoğlu has headed since 2019. Other defendants include elected officials from İmamoğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP), journalists, and İmamoğlu's lawyer. Critics of the trial say President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is politically influencing the proceedings as part of a broader judicial campaign to hinder the CHP's ability to function as an effective opposition party and to prevent İmamoğlu and other CHP officials from exercising their rights to political participation. In a published statement, İmamoğlu wrote that he was "not receiving a fair trial before an independent and impartial judiciary." During the proceedings, CHP leader Özgür Özel stated that the prosecution was acting on Erdoğan's orders and that the judges had "already made their decision." İmamoğlu described the trial as "an attempt to overthrow the will of the people" and "one of the toughest tests of democracy" in Turkish history. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concerns about Türkiye's abuse of the judicial process and its use of the legal apparatus as a weapon against political opponents. Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Türkiye is a signatory, prohibits the restriction of rights and freedoms "for any purpose other than those for which they were intended." Imamoğlu has been targeted by the Turkish judicial system during his time as mayor. In 2022, he was convicted of insulting members of the Supreme Election Board, a conviction currently under review by the Court of Appeals. On June 24, 2024, İmamoğlu was tried for defamation, a case he resolved out of court. On February 5, 2025, he was tried for criticizing Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, who directly oversaw the main criminal investigation against him. He was convicted of insulting and threatening a public official after describing Gürlek's "reasoning" as "flawed." Monday's hearings added to a long list of cases targeting CHP officials, including other elected mayors. Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was tried on October 30, 2024, on charges of "membership in an armed organization." Seven CHP mayors were arrested on charges of criminal activity and corruption, and İmamoğlu and 11 others face an ongoing criminal case alleging they paid people to ensure Özel's election as party general secretary at the 2023 party congress. "It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that prosecutors are trying to remove İmamoğlu from politics and discredit his party in a way that undermines democracy," said Benjamin Ward, Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch. Peru News: Pipeline failure leads to nationwide gas shortages, price increases and protests Peru News: Pipeline failure leads to nationwide gas shortages, price increases and protests US News: UN Women Conference Day 1—Gaps in access to justice continue US News: UN Women Conference Day 1—Gaps in access to justice continue Recent COMMENTS Can Algorithms Respect Human Dignity? The Problem of Predictive Justice Can Algorithms Respect Human Dignity? The Problem of Predictive Justice By Tuğba Tosun Çobanoğlu US-Iran Conflict Destroys the Rules-Based International Order US-Iran Conflict Destroys the Rules-Based International Order By Shobhitabh Srivastava | IIULER Recent FEATURES What Does 'Arriving' at the Border Mean? Supreme Court to Assess Refugee Rights What Does 'Arriving' at the Border Mean? Supreme Court to Assess Refugee Rights Canadian lawmakers rejected gun control bill due to the flow of Canadian gun components to the United States war machine Canadian lawmakers rejected gun control bill due to the flow of Canadian gun components to the United States war machine