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Here, in Salivri prison. Turkey's largest jail is 70 kilometers from Istanbul, the city Imamulu is mayor of
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And it is in this jail that he faces judges on Friday
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Arrested on March 19th and detained four days later on charges of corruption
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Imamulu's case has sparked an unprecedented protest movement in the country. Hundreds of opposition party supporters came to the prison, protesting ahead of his court appearances
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We're always on the side of our mayor. We're on the side of rights, law and justice
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But I say this one word, they will not be able to make us give up
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Imam Al-Luh is the main opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and says his arrest is politically motivated
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judicial harassment aimed at keeping him off the presidential ballot. He is being prosecuted in six cases, including insulting a judge
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insulting Istanbul's chief public prosecutor and corruption in the Istanbul municipality. For the charges of insulting a judge alone, he faces between four months and seven years in prison
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as well as a ban from holding any elected office. The mayor was officially nominated as the Republican People's Party presidential candidate while in custody
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and the party's leader is pushing forward. We must do everything we can to ensure Imam Ali becomes a candidate
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because the people want him, and he's the candidate strong enough to defeat Erdogan
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Imam Ali's imprisonment is widely viewed as politically motivated, but the government insists Turkey's judiciary is independent and free of political influence
