Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu Jailed, Protests Erupt

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and presidential candidate, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening Istanbul’s chief prosecutor based on remarks made earlier in the year. Imamoglu, jailed since March over a separate corruption probe, denies all charges and claims the prosecutions are politically motivated. His arrest has sparked the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade, prompting a heavy crackdown and thousands of arrests. The court acquitted him of some terrorism-related charges and did not issue a political ban as the sentence is under two years, though ongoing legal cases may still impact his political future. Turkish authorities assert judicial impartiality, while Imamoglu and opposition leaders argue that the judiciary is being misused to silence dissent. Imamoglu is appealing the conviction, and the sentence will not be enacted until the appeals process concludes.