New development in the CHP convention investigation! Prosecutor's office files an objection

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an objection on both procedural and substantive grounds after the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance, having accepted the indictment prepared following the investigation into allegations of irregularities at the CHP's 38th Ordinary Convention, sent the case to the high criminal court with a decision of lack of jurisdiction.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The indictment requests up to 3 years of imprisonment for 12 defendants (Baki Aydöner, Cemil Tugay, Erkan Aydın, Hüseyin Yaşar, Mehmet Kılınçarslan, Metin Güzelkaya, Nihat Yeşiltaş, Özgen Nama, Özgür Çelik, Rıza Akpolat, and Serhat Can Eş), including Ekrem İmamoğlu—who was removed from his post as Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) following his arrest as part of a corruption investigation—on charges of "tampering with voting" in accordance with Article 112 of the Law on Political Parties.

In its decision of lack of jurisdiction, the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance stated that the defendants' actions should be evaluated within the scope of the crime of "bribery" and that, because defendant Erkan Aydın had been elected as a member of parliament three times prior to the dates of the alleged crimes, the crimes allegedly committed by members of parliament while in office fall under the jurisdiction of the high criminal court according to the relevant law. The objections of the defense attorneys for the case to be heard in the criminal court of first instance had also been rejected.