'The Big Radish' trial postponed

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu appeared in court once again due to his remarks regarding expert witness S.B. during a press conference titled "The Big Radish" held in Saraçhane on January 27.

With the latest decree from the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), the original judge of the case was reassigned to the Istanbul 10th Criminal Court of First Instance. It was reported that the new judge assigned to the file is currently on leave and will begin their duties on December 22.

For this reason, the third hearing on December 12 will be presided over by the judge of the Istanbul 20th Criminal Court of First Instance, per a commission decision. The location and time of the hearing remain unchanged.

İmamoğlu had previously reacted to a change of judge during a hearing in another case.

İMAMOĞLU: IT WON'T BE LONG NOW, THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY OUT

At the end of his defense, noting that trial without detention is a requirement in the IMM case, İmamoğlu concluded his hour-and-a-half-long defense by saying, "I am here, our nation is here. We want justice to be served. Even a third hearing is unnecessary in this case. I am not a legal expert, but I am speaking from the heart. May God protect our nation from injustices and those who commit them. It won't be long now, they are on their way out."

HE POINTED TO THE PERIOD BEFORE 2019

In his defense, İmamoğlu said, "They continue to play games within games and make reckless interventions in the judiciary. I have dozens of cases against me, but this is one of the strangest. I am here because I criticized an expert who exploits Turkish law by writing commissioned reports. This is a person who presents a report that does not even exist as if it does. This expert, Mr. S., has sensitivities that work on a year-by-year basis. Before 2019, he was very soft; after 2019, he has taken on a completely different state."

"THE REFEREE IS BEING CHANGED AT HALFTIME"

Reminding that judges have been changed in all the cases he has been tried in, İmamoğlu said,

"They are officially changing the referee at halftime. We cannot even go to VAR. Dear judge, we are in a court that feels like exile. You came here from Europe's largest courthouse. What era are we in? Is it possible to go backward at full speed? They kept me in custody for five days and left me hungry and thirsty there for a day. I was also kept waiting there for 20 hours in a fabricated espionage matter. Who are you? Do you think you will make me look helpless by keeping me there? The day will come when they will be held accountable for every bit of it. We know very well which mindset these practices come from."

STATEMENT ON THE NEW HEARING ROOM

Speaking about the new hearing room being built in Silivri, İmamoğlu said, "Look at what other nations are doing and what we are doing. They always want the biggest and the most expensive, of course. I am addressing those dark minds from here: May that black mark of a medallion you will hang around your necks be auspicious. 64 years later, you are repeating the same shame, the same disgrace. You are currently building Yassıada in Silivri. By the way, TOKİ is going to build it. They have many black marks. I used to say Kanal Istanbul would be their final black mark, but they have added a new one."