Turkey: 2,000-year jail sentence urged for Istanbul mayor

Ekrem Imamoglu is facing almost 150 charges that could collectively land him with a 2,353-year jail sentence. The mayor of Turkey's largest city is an outspoken critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday charged jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu with 142 offenses, meaning that he could potentially face up to 2,532 years in prison if found guilty of all of them.

Imamoglu, who has been in jail already for nearly eight months after being arrested and suspended from officein March, is seen as one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most serious rivals.

What is Imamoglu charged with?

In a nearly 4,000-page indictment, prosecutors drew up a list of offenses ranging from running a criminal organization and bribery to embezzlement, extortion and tender rigging.

Imamoglu, from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)  , is currently in pre-trial detention on corruption charges, as well as serving a separate jail sentence of a year and eight months for allegedly insulting and threatening Istanbul's chief prosecutor.

His arrest in March triggered massive protests.

More to follow...