ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor filed a sweeping indictment against the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, holding him responsible for 142 alleged criminal offenses related to corruption and organized crime and demanding lengthy prison terms, Turkish media reports said.

Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure widely seen as a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March along with several municipal officials who were accused of running a criminal organization, accepting bribes, extortion and bid-rigging. He has strongly denied all allegations.

Critics view the accusations as a politically motivated effort to weaken the main opposition. His arrest triggered the largest wave of public demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade.

Chief Prosecu

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