Judicial officials in Turkey on Monday rejected an appeal seeking the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from prison pending the outcome of his corruption trial.
Turkish media reports that the Istanbul Court of First Instance Criminal Court decided to reject the appeals made by Imamoglu's lawyers, deciding that his detention should continue.
Lawyers representing the mayor had argued that the investigation against Imamoglu was conducted in violation of legal norms. They are expected to renew their appeal.
The court also rejected appeal requests for Murat Ongu - chairman of a media company affiliated with the Istanbul municipality and a close aide to Imamoglu - and other suspects who were arrested on corruption charges along with the mayor.
Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and a leading challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's more than two-decade rule, was arrested on March 19 and formally jailed on corruption and terrorism charges four days later. It sparked the biggest protests in Turkey in more than a decade, with around 2,000 people arrested for participating.
Imamoglu's arrest is widely considered politically motivated ahead of presidential elections, which are currently scheduled for 2028 but could happen earlier.
The Turkish government has maintained that the judiciary functions independently and without political interference. (A2 Televizion)
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