A supporter of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu stands in front of a police barrier as a Turkish court convene to reach a verdict in the trial of Imamoglu, who is accused of insulting state officials with comments he made at the time of elections in 2019, with prosecutors seeking the imposition of a political ban on him, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -A Turkish court sentenced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to jail on Wednesday and imposed a political ban on the opposition politician who is seen as a strong potential challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan in elections next year.
Imamoglu was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison along with the ban, both of which must be confirmed by an appeals court, for insulting public officials in a speech he made after he won Istanbul's municipal election in 2019.
