The Istanbul prosecutor’s office has asked for a prison sentence ranging from 2 years and 8 months to 7 years and 4 months for Ekrem Imamoglu.

The judicial investigation concerns statements Imamoglu made on January 20, addressed to Istanbul prosecutor Akin Gürlek. At the same time, the indictment calls for Imamoglu to be deprived of the right to hold public office.

The charges against the Istanbul mayor include “threatening,” “publicly insulting a public official because of his duties” and “deliberately targeting people involved in the fight against terrorism.”

Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has denied the charges. The investigation was launched after he criticized judicial actions against CHP youth leader Cem Aydin at a panel.