Court acquits 88 people over protests against İstanbul mayor’s detention

An İstanbul court acquitted 88 people in two cases linked to protests against the detention of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Each case involved 45 defendants accused of violating Turkey’s law on meetings and demonstrations.

One person in each case received a suspended prison sentence of more than seven months for a social media post said to incite crime.

The protests began after police detained İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025; he was jailed pending trial four days later on corruption charges.

Thousands protested in İstanbul, and demonstrations spread across Turkey as police detained nearly 2,000 people.

İmamoğlu denies the accusations against him, while his Republican People’s Party says the prosecution is intended to stop him challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The latest acquittals add to earlier decisions clearing people prosecuted over the demonstrations.