Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Denied Right to Defend in Court, Lawyers Seek Judge Change

Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu was unable to present his defense at the July 8 hearing of the Istanbul 33rd Heavy Criminal Court after a dispute in the courtroom. The court record noted that he “used his right to remain silent,” effectively rejecting his request to speak.

İmamoğlu’s lawyers argue that his right to a defence was violated and have filed a petition demanding the replacement of the three‑judge panel, citing bias and procedural irregularities. Their submission stresses that the indictment, which accuses İmamoğlu of acting as an “organization leader” in 143 alleged actions, contains few directly attributable offences and that the defence of co‑defendants is still pending.

The petition also references similar complaints from the lawyers of co‑defendants Aykut Erdoğdu and Ramazan Gülten, who claim the court imposed undue time limits and displayed partiality. If the request is denied, the case will be sent to a higher‑authority heavy criminal court for further review.