Turkish prosecutors have charged Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, with 142 offences, including bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, and running a criminal organization, carrying potential sentences totaling up to 2,430 years.

The nearly 4,000-page indictment names 402 suspects and alleges İmamoğlu led a crime network “like an octopus.”

Opposition leaders, including Özgür Özel, say the charges are politically motivated to prevent İmamoğlu from running in the 2028 presidential election and to weaken the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The indictment also includes filings against the CHP, raising concerns it could pave the way for the party’s closure, though prosecutors denied seeking to shut it down, The Guardian has reported.

İmamoğlu’s arrest and the broader crackdown on opposition figures have sparked demonstrations and highlighted growing tensions in Turkey’s political landscape.