Ekrem İmamoğlu has remained in pretrial detention since his March 2025 arrest on corruption charges, including allegations of leading a criminal organization, bribery, bid rigging, and related offenses at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The ongoing trial, now in its 96th hearing as of October 2026, involves 436 defendants and 53 in custody, with prosecutors seeking sentences up to 2,430 years for İmamoğlu. Additional proceedings have produced a September 2026 conviction carrying a political ban, while the case continues with defense statements underway and no scheduled resolution before year-end. These factors, combined with the scale of the proceedings and absence of bail or acquittal developments, underpin trader consensus that release from custody is unlikely before 2027.