“240 days since his arrest, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul now faces 142 charges, incurring up to 2 400 years of imprisonment. This is deeply alarming,” said today Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

“As indicated by the Venice Commission in a report prepared at the request of the Congress, when applied to mayors, excessive length of pre-trial detention not only has a chilling effect on the exercise of democratic freedoms but it also deters public actors and citizens from participating in political meetings for fear of association-based liability or retaliation.

“The Congress continues its dialogue with the national authorities of Türkiye and prepares a new visit in the country, including to the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, and other mayors imprisoned, to demonstrate our ongoing support for the protection of local democracy in the country,” said President Cools.