A court in Istanbul on Monday rejected an appeal and ruled that Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu will remain in custody until the trial in a corruption case. This was reported by the Associated Press, according to TASR. Imamoglu, a prominent opposition politician and opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on March 19 on charges of corruption, and four days later, a court ordered his pre-trial detention. Imamoglu denies all the charges.

His arrest is considered politically motivated, aimed at removing him – Erdogan's main rival – from politics before the Turkish presidential elections planned for 2028. Imamoglu's lawyers filed an appeal against his arrest last week, arguing that there was no risk that their client would flee or otherwise evade the investigation. However, the Istanbul court rejected their request for his release on Monday.

The court also rejected an appeal against the pre-trial detention of Imamoglu's close associate, Murat Ongun, and other individuals who were arrested along with Imamoglu on suspicion of corruption. The developments in the Imamoglu case have triggered the largest wave of anti-government protests in Turkey in over a decade. More than 1,000 people – mostly university students – have been detained for their participation. Approximately 250 of them have since been released from prison. On Sunday, the Republican People's Party (CHP) held the first of its planned nationwide rallies in support of Imamoglu: it took place in the Turkish Black Sea province of Samsun and the city of the same name, where the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, launched the war of independence in 1919.

At the rally, CHP leader Özgür Özel spoke about the current Turkish leadership, saying that it came to power through elections and now does not want to relinquish it through elections. ""This is a coup,"" Özel said. He added that a petition launched last week calling for Imamoglu's release has already garnered nearly ten million signatures. Imamoglu's arrest has strengthened the opposition and united voters across the political spectrum. The CHP held an extraordinary congress on April 6, where the incumbent leader and sole candidate, Özel, received 1170 out of 1276 votes, confirming him in his position.

The CHP congress took place amid growing concerns that the government's actions against Imamoglu could soon extend to the party itself. Some of its members fear that authorities may attempt to take control of the CHP, citing alleged irregularities at its 2023 congress. Prosecutors in Ankara launched an investigation into the party in February, alleging that delegates received bribes in exchange for supporting Özel in the vote.

TASR/gnews.cz-jav