Lawyer Pehlivan makes harsh statements following decision to 'continue detention'

Ekrem İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, who is being held at Çorlu Prison, emphasized in a statement made after the decision to continue his detention on July 17 that the accusations directed at him consist entirely of slander.

Pehlivan stated that the testimonies taken under the scope of effective remorse do not reflect the truth and that it has been proven that these testimonies are slanderous.

Mehmet Pehlivan stated that among the accusations directed at him was the claim that he arranged a lawyer for a suspect, but that this lawyer had been that person's attorney for 14 years and that he himself was still a law student at that time. Furthermore, he stated that the claim that he organized a meeting on March 5 was also baseless and that he did not attend such a meeting. He said that the slanders claiming he attended a meeting with Prof. Dr. İzzet Özgenç also do not reflect the truth, that he has never met Özgenç, and that these allegations have been reported to the HSK (Council of Judges and Prosecutors).

İmamoğlu's lawyer, Pehlivan, noted that in another allegation, he was accused of pressuring an individual, but that this person had previously gone to the prosecutor to provide a statement of effective remorse. Criticizing the decision to continue his detention despite all these allegations being refuted, Pehlivan argued that this situation was done solely to create a justification for detention. Questioning what purpose the detention of lawyers serves, Pehlivan stated that this situation is contrary to the law.