A Turkish court on Monday ordered the release pending trial of Bilge Kağan Şarbat, head of the youth branch of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district, following his arrest on charges of “insulting the president,” the Medyascope news website reported.
The İstanbul Anadolu 5th Criminal Magistrate of Peace ruled that Şarbat be released pending trial with a ban on international travel and required regular reporting at a police station. The court said the evidence had already been collected and that there was no risk of flight.
Şarbat, 19, was detained on December 27 for chanting slogans during a protest against minimum wage increases and was arrested the following day on the grounds of an alleged flight risk, adding to concerns over the use of criminal law against opposition figures in Turkey.
The CHP has faced a series of prosecutions criticized as politically motivated and the seizure of some of its municipalities through trustee appointments following its sweeping 2024 local election victory.
The pressure on the CHP and its municipalities has intensified since the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP considered to be the strongest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.He was detained on March 19 along with dozens of İstanbul city officials and was named his party’s presidential candidate on March 23 for the next general election scheduled for 2028.
İmamoğlu is accused of running what prosecutors call a “criminal organization” within the municipality. He has denied the accusations and says they are politically motivated.
