A Turkish criminal court sentenced jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to one year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, Turkish media reported on Wednesday. 

İmamoğlu has been in jail since March in relation to a separate corruption case and denies all charges against him. This latest conviction stems from his criticism of Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, who he accused of targeting opposition figures.

In March, İmamoğlu’s arrest sparked massive protests, which Ankara suppressed with thousands of arrests. Since then, Turkish authorities have arrested dozens more opposition figures in a major crackdown.

In 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to more than two years in prison for criticizing election board officials over the decision to cancel the 2019 Istanbul elections, where he defeated a candidate from Erdoğan’s ruling party. İmamoğlu appealed, and a final verdict has not yet been issued. 

In Turkey, sentences are not enacted until all appeals are exhausted, and the mayor is expected to appeal the new conviction as well.