Source: SFGate
“Judicial officials on Monday rejected an appeal seeking the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from jail pending the outcome of his corruption trial, the country’s state-run news agency reported. Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and a key challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule, was detained on March 19 and formally jailed on corruption charges four days later. His arrest is widely perceived to be politically motivated, aiming to sideline a major rival ahead of presidential elections … On Monday, the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to reject the appeals made by Imamoglu’s lawyers, deciding that his detention would continue, the Anadolu Agency reported.” (04/14/25)