Turkish court rejects appeal seeking release of key Erdogan rival from prison

The former mayor of Istanbul’s detention sparked a wave of protests (AP)

Judicial officials have rejected an appeal seeking the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from jail pending the outcome of his corruption trial, the country’s state-run news agency reported.

Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and a key challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule, was detained on March 19 and formally jailed on corruption charges four days later.