An indictment has been prepared regarding the İmamoğlu protests: 139 people face up to 3 years in prison and a political ban.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) President Ekrem İmamoğlu reacted to the indictment, stating, "By arranging an indictment to impose political bans on young people aged 18-22, you are declaring that you are afraid of the youth. Shame on you!"

An indictment regarding the protests that began after Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 and subsequently arrested on March 23 as part of "corruption" and "terror" investigations has been prepared by the prosecutor's office. In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office as a public case, it was stated that a request for imprisonment of 6 months to 3 years was made for 139 individuals detained between March 23 and March 26, on the charge of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911. Additionally, a political ban was requested for these individuals under Article 53/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. Berkay Gezgin, a 22-year-old who became the architect of the phrase "Everything will be very beautiful," which turned into Ekrem İmamoğlu's campaign slogan before the 2019 local elections, was among those for whom prison and political ban sentences were requested in the indictment. Gezgin had been nominated by the Republican People's Party (CHP) for the Party Assembly. The indictment also noted that four individuals among the 139, Alp Bartu Şentürk, Doğukan Şengil, Emine Defne Yenihayat, and Murat Sarp Aşık, were released on March 28. Following Ekrem İmamoğlu's arrest on March 19, the Istanbul Governorship announced a ban on gatherings and demonstrations citywide for four days. The indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that despite the notification of the prohibition decision issued by the Istanbul Governorship for 4 days, the gathered crowd insisted on not dispersing, and it was expressed that "detentions were made with a proportional intervention by law enforcement forces." It was also reminded that the CHP had called for gatherings at the Saraçhane, where the IMM building is located, on March 19 and the following days as part of the investigations against İmamoğlu.

The prosecutor's office made a statement regarding the political ban requests in the indictment, saying, "Regarding the false and manipulative news and statements about the requests for political bans on students in the indictments prepared by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office concerning recent social events; as is known, according to Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, measures depriving individuals of certain rights specified in the same article are applied as a natural consequence of conviction in all intentionally committed crimes, regardless of crime distinction, without any request."

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested on March 23 and sent to Marmara Prison in Silivri, reacted to the indictment with a post on the social media platform X. İmamoğlu stated, "By arranging an indictment to impose political bans on young people aged 18-22, you are declaring that you are afraid of the youth. Shame on you!" Targeting Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, İmamoğlu added, "The person responsible for justice continues to say 'the judiciary is independent' every day, as if a button has been pressed, like listening to a tape recording. Get out of here! Would this be reminded every day in a country where the judiciary is truly free and independent?" İmamoğlu also called on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and members of parliament for the young people detained during the protests. İmamoğlu said, "I am addressing the political party that feels the need to defend the President in every incident. Justice is slipping away. No solution or peace initiative can succeed where there is no justice. Please show that you are sensitive about justice to this nation."

Addressing the members of parliament, İmamoğlu stated, "Parties and members of parliament under the roof of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, at this point where the system has rendered the Assembly ineffective; it is now YOUR TURN against the oppression shown towards the youth. Use whatever authority you have for the youth together and take collective action."

What happened? İmamoğlu was detained the day after the cancellation of his diploma from Istanbul University and was arrested on March 23 in connection with a "corruption" investigation. This entire process came after the investigations opened against the IMM President in recent weeks and before the CHP's presidential candidate primary election. At the beginning of these investigations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had said, "They also know very well that the bigger turnips are still in the bag. This is the reason for their panic." However, on the same day of his arrest, İmamoğlu was announced as the CHP's presidential candidate with nearly 15 million votes. Subsequently, he was removed from his position as IMM President by a decision of the Ministry of Interior. CHP member Nuri Aslan was elected as the Deputy Mayor of IMM in İmamoğlu's place. The mass protests triggered by İmamoğlu's detention and subsequent arrest transformed into the largest demonstrations seen in Turkey in over a decade. The police responded to the protests with tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons. In many major cities across the country, including Istanbul, security forces were harshly intervening against demonstrators. Alongside the protests, the number of detentions and arrests is also increasing. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan characterized the protests as a 'violent movement' in a statement made after the cabinet meeting in Ankara. Economists estimate that the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey intervened with up to $25 billion to support the lira during the three days İmamoğlu was in detention.