A Turkish prosecutor is seeking prison sentences for seven university students accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in slogans chanted at a rally marking the 100th day of the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Media and Law Association (MLSA) reported.
At the second hearing held Friday at the Istanbul 19th Criminal Court of First Instance, the defendants repeated their previous statements and demanded acquittal. The students were charged with “insulting the president” and violating Turkey’s Law on Meetings and Demonstrations (Law No. 2911).
Following their defense, the prosecutor requested convictions for all seven defendants on the charge of insulting the president. Defense lawyers asked for additional time to submit written responses and requested the lifting of judicial supervision measures imposed on their clients.
The court granted both requests and adjourned the trial until January, 23, 2026.
In Turkey, insulting the president is a criminal offense under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code. The law has been widely criticized by press freedom advocates, who say it is used to prosecute journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens for expressing views that may be critical of the president or satirizing him, even indirectly.
İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a leading figure in the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained on March 19 and arrested days later on corruption charges criticized as politically motivated, with his arrest sparking Turkey’s worst protests in a decade. Since he is still behind bars, his mayoral duties are currently being performed by a deputy.
Opponents and international observers view the legal action against İmamoğlu, seen as the main political threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule, as politically motivated, aimed at sidelining a major rival and signaling tougher control over the opposition ahead of future elections.
