Imprisoned Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court on charges of “threatening” the city's prosecutor.

The case is one of a series of investigations against Imamoglu, but is not related to the corruption investigation that led to his arrest in March and sparked the worst street protests in Turkey in more than a decade.

Imamoglu, 54, is on trial for statements that, according to the prosecution, cast doubt on the integrity of Istanbul's chief prosecutor, Akin Gurlek.

He is accused of “threatening, insulting, and attacking a public official,” AFP reported.

The trial took place in Silivri prison, where Imamoglu has been held since the end of March.

He was questioned by prosecutors at the end of January, and the first court hearing took place in Silivri prison on April 11.

When he took the stand in April, he denied all charges and said he was being targeted because of his plans to run against Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election, Turkish media reported at the time.

In January, he told the prosecutor that he was simply exercising his right to freedom of speech.

“There were no threats or attacks in my words. What I said was freedom of expression,” he said.

“Freedom of expression is a constitutional right, (which) includes the right to criticize the judiciary and the way it functions,” Imamoglu added.

Last week, Imamoglu was also summoned to the first hearing in another case related to statements he made about a court-appointed expert involved in cases against municipalities run by his Republican People's Party (CHP), in which he is accused of trying to influence a fair trial.

His office said he and his team of lawyers boycotted the hearing because it was “illegally moved to Silivri” instead of being held in a court in the city center.

Imamoglu, who was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2024, was arrested on March 19 in connection with a “corruption” investigation and allegations of “links to terrorists.”

The series of charges against him could prevent him from running in the 2028 presidential election.

His arrest sparked demonstrations across the country, which turned into the worst street riots since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which spread across Turkey and were brutally suppressed by the police. | BGNES