ISTANBUL: A court in Istanbul has imprisoned seven journalists, including an AFP photographer, to cover mass protests elicited by the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu as thousands defy a protest ban and collide with police over Turkey.

The demonstrations broke out after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most important political rival, in a crash that has seen more than 1,400 people arrested, including 11 Turkish journalists.

Seven of them were jailed by a court in Istanbul on Tuesday, among them AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who drew a sharp reprimand from the Paris-based news agency.

“His prison is unacceptable. That’s why I ask you to intervene as soon as possible to get the quick release of our journalist,” the agency’s CEO and chairman, Fabrice Fries, said in a letter to the Turkish Presidency.

The court accused Akgul, 35, and the others of “participating in illegal rallies and marches”, although Fries said Akgul was “not part of the protest” but covered it only as a journalist.

Media Freedom Group -Journalists Without Borders (RSF) condemned the decision as “scandalous” with her turkey representative, Erol Omoglu, and said it “reflects a very serious situation in Turkey”.

‘Cannot express us freely’

Large crowds have defied a protest ban to go on the streets daily since March 19 moves towards Imamoglu, with the turmoil spread across Turkey and encouraged nocturnal clashes with security forces.

On Sunday, Imamoglu was overwhelmingly elected as CHP’s candidate for a presidential driving of 2028, where observers said it was the threatening primary thing that triggered the move against him.

In light of the biggest protests in Turkey since the Gezi building in 2013 over the redevelopment of an Istanbul park, Erdogan has remained defiantly and condemns competitions such as “Gade Terror”.

“Those who spread terror on the streets and want to set fire to this country have nowhere to go. The path they have taken is a dead end,” he said Tuesday.

But when he spoke, thousands of students marched through the Sisli district of Istanbul, whose mayor, Resulus Emrah Sahan, was jailed in the same case as Imamoglu, heading for the district’s municipal headquarters.

They sang “the government, resignation!” And waved flags and banners with slogans, including “Tayyip resignation!”, Over seen by a large deployment of the rebel police, while people in apartments over based pots to show their approval.

Many had their faces covered with scarves or masks and acknowledged that they feared being identified by police.

“We cannot express ourselves freely,” a student who gave her name, as Nisa told AFP and said she nevertheless joined the protest “to defend democracy.”

In a separate protest, thousands also gathered for the seventh night in order in a demonstration organized by Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the Sarachane District, where Istanbul City Hall, which IMamoglu ran since 2019, is located.

Preparing for what could be a long standoff, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has called on a boycott of leading brands, as he says, is linked to the authorities, including coffee chain Espressolab and retailer D&R.

‘Dark time for democracy’

With rebel police using water cannon, pepper spray and rubber balls against protesters, the Council of Europe condemned the “disproportionate” use of force, while Human Rights Watch said it was a “dark time for democracy” in Turkey.

The United Nations also expressed an alarm in Turkish’s use of pulpit and its “illegal carpet ban on protests” and called on the authorities to investigate any illegal use of force.

“All those detained for the legitimate exercise of their rights must be released immediately and unconditionally,” said UN Rights Office spokeswoman Liz Throssell.

Imamoglu, 53, is largely seen as the only politician capable of defeating Erdogan who has ruled the NATO member for a quarter of a century.

But Imamoglu has now been deprived of his mayoral and imprisoned by a transplant and terrorist program that his followers condemn as a “political cupping”.

On Tuesday, police had detained 1,418 suspects of participating in “illegal demonstrations,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X, warning that there would be no “any concessions” for those who “terrorize the streets”.

But Ozel said CHP planned a big rally this weekend and said to crowds: “We don’t fall into numbers with arrests – there will be even more of us.”