U.S. State Dept says troubled by Turkey's jail sentence for opposition mayor

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greets his supporters
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greets his supporters as they gather in front of his office as a Turkish court sentenced Imamoglu to more than two years in prison and imposed a political ban for insulting public officials, in Istanbul, Turkey December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is "deeply troubled and disappointed" by a Turkish court handing a jail sentence to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Wednesday.

"This unjust sentence is inconsistent with respect for human rights, with respect to fundamental freedoms and rule of law," Patel said. "We remain gravely concerned by the continued indictment of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey and their prolonged pretrial detention."

A Turkish court sentenced Imamoglu to jail and imposed a political ban on the opposition politician who is seen as a strong potential challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan in elections next year.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Mark Porter

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