Justice: Türkiye: Charge against over 800 suspects after protests

After the mass protests against the arrest of the popular opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu, the Istanbul public prosecutor accommodates charges against 819 people. The law enforcement agency said that they would be accused of participation in non -approved demonstrations. 278 of them are in custody. According to the state news agency Anadolu, some protesters threaten up to five years and in one case up to nine years in prison.

The arrest of the Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu on March 19 triggered the largest government -critical protests in Turkey for years. Imamoglu, who was appointed the largest opposition party Chp after his arrest as presidential candidate, is considered the most important domestic rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu had been arrested for corruption and terrorist allegations.

The Istanbul governor’s office initially prohibited demonstrations after Imamoglus arrest, but has been allowed again since the end of March. On Tuesday, several 100 people came together for a protest in the Kadiköy district of Istanbul. Imamoglus Party CHP has announced that it will organize protests every weekend in different locations in the country and every Wednesday evening in Istanbul.

Critics speak of a wave of repression

The opposition and many demonstrators see the procedure against Imamoglu as the attempt by the government to eliminate an important opponent. Even in the weeks before the popular politician was arrested, harder had been taken against opposition figures in the country.

Critics spoke of a wave of repression, in the context of which the head of the ultra-right Zafer party, ümit Özdag, had been arrested. According to Anadolu, the public prosecutor calls up to seven years and ten months in prison for the right-wing politician for “repeated sedition or disparagement”.