Ekrem İmamoğlu will face a retrial in the “insult” case brought against him over remarks he made about former Tuzla Mayor Şadi Yazıcı, after the appellate court overturned the ruling on procedural grounds. İmamoğlu was acquitted twice in the case concerning a speech he delivered at a ceremony in 2023. On June 5, he was taken back to prison on the grounds that the vehicle had broken down while he was being transferred from Silivri to the Istanbul Anatolian Courthouse. Appearing at the hearing via SEGBİS, he said his need to use the restroom had not been accommodated and that he had been subjected to psychological torture. Criticizing what happened during the transfer, İmamoğlu said the incident constituted historic oppression and torture. The Istanbul Anatolian 16th Criminal Court of First Instance adjourned the hearing until Friday, September 11, 2026. The new judge ruled that the hearing would be held in courtroom No. 6 at the Marmara Penal Institutions Campus.
Why it matters
The appellate court’s decision to overturn the ruling on procedural grounds shows that the two previous acquittals did not end the case and that the file must be heard again. As a result, the development brings not only the substance of the charges against İmamoğlu but also the way the trial will be conducted into focus. The question of how the defendant’s access to the hearing and conditions for participation will be ensured remains open, given the disruptions during the transfer and the problems raised during the SEGBİS connection, as well as the decision to move the hearing to a courtroom at the Marmara Penal Institutions Campus. It remains unclear what steps the court will take following the procedural reversal and how it will handle the file after the previous acquittals. The postponement of the hearing until 2026 also shows that the case will not be concluded in the short term.
Background
Silivri is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 2 reports mentioning it in the last 90 days; the latest was dated 4 September 2026.