Sharp reaction after the hearing! Ekrem İmamoğlu lashes out at Erdoğan: 'My voice and my defense are both banned'
After being removed from the courtroom following the start of his defense at the latest hearing of the IMM case, CHP's imprisoned presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made striking statements on his social media account. İmamoğlu stated, "My voice is banned, my image is banned, my photo is banned, my X account is banned, my coming to court is banned, my making a defense is banned." It was also announced that an investigation had been launched against him for "threatening a public official" following the events at the hearing.
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In the 64th hearing of the IMM case, where a total of 414 defendants, including 59 who are imprisoned, are being tried—among them CHP's imprisoned presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—the flow of the hearing changed while Nergiz İnce, the lawyer for businessman and IMM Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, was continuing her defense.
The court interrupted the lawyer's defense, stating that it would move on to Ekrem İmamoğlu's defense.
REMOVED FROM THE COURTROOM WITHOUT MAKING A DEFENSE
After the lunch break, a dispute arose between Ekrem İmamoğlu, who took the stand to present his defense, and the presiding judge due to the limitation of the defense time.
Following the dispute, the court decided to remove İmamoğlu from the courtroom under Article 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK).
As he was being removed from the room, İmamoğlu said, "Those I will judge in Ankara are trying to manage the trial here. The Ministry of Justice is a ministry of collapse. Justice belongs to the nation; I am speaking to the nation. Let us turn our faces to the nation."
INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED AGAINST HIM
The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that an investigation had been launched against Ekrem İmamoğlu for "threatening a public official" due to his words during the hearing: "I will not make a defense, I will judge, I will judge, don't worry, I will judge those who wrote the indictment..."
The court panel decided that the next hearing of the case would be held on August 17.
REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Sharing on his social media account after the hearing, Ekrem İmamoğlu made assessments regarding what had happened.
In his statement, İmamoğlu said, "He is afraid of competing with me. He is afraid of my voice, my words, my image, my name. That is why: My voice is banned, my image is banned, my photo is banned, my X account is banned, my coming to court is banned, my making a defense is banned!"