Istanbul mayor sentenced to prison for insulting public officials

A Turkish court has sentenced the mayor of Istanbul to more than two and half years in prison on charges of insulting members of the Supreme Electoral Council.

The court on Wednesday also imposed a political ban on Ekrem Imamoglu, a key opposition politician, which could lead to his removal from office in Turkey’s largest city.

Imamoglu called the sentence “political and unlawful”.

Responding to the court verdict against him, Imamoglu addressed thousands of supporters who gathered in Istanbul, declaring from an open-top bus: “This decision is a disgrace for the Turkish judiciary. It’s the firmest expression of the fact that the judiciary has been transformed into an instrument to punish dissidents. It’s proof that the rulers of this country have no aim to bring justice and democracy to the country.”

He added: “We will not bow down to this corruption. These kinds of games won’t get in my way—I won’t be dismayed or give up.”