Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issues statement on 'tea ban for İmamoğlu'

The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a written statement following reports that detained defendants in the IMM case heard in Silivri were not allowed to drink tea during hearing breaks.

The statement cited the relevant article of the "Regulation on the Provisions for Convicts and Detainees and Penal Institution Personnel," noting that detainees attending hearings are provided with rations for their meals. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that there is no legal basis for serving tea or coffee before or during hearings, and therefore, no such practice is implemented for any detainee.

The Prosecutor's Office statement also expressed that there are no restrictions on detainees and convicts drinking tea in the rooms where they stay within penal institutions.

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It had been alleged that Ekrem İmamoğlu and other defendants being tried while in custody as part of the IMM case were not allowed to drink tea in the detention section of the new courtroom in Silivri where the hearings are held. According to a report by Cumhuriyet, it was stated that the practice was maintained for "security" reasons, and that hearings could sometimes last up to 15 hours.

It had also been brought to the agenda that the relatives of the detainees offered to cover the costs of the tea to be served during hearing breaks, but this request was not accepted. The Prosecutor's Office statement did not include a separate assessment regarding why this request from the families was rejected.