According to KurdPress, the 44th hearing of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) case, which has 414 defendants, 68 of whom are in custody, was held at the Marmara Prison (Silivri) Judicial Complex. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the ousted mayor of Istanbul and presidential candidate of the Republican People's Party (CHP), is also among the defendants in the case.

The fact that the hearing coincided with İmamoğlu's birthday prompted those present to congratulate him before the trial began. However, the cake that the CHP members had brought to Silivri for the occasion was not allowed into the courtroom. According to the party members, the gendarmerie forces had been ordered to prevent the cake from entering the courtroom the night before.

During the hearing, Hüseyin Koksal, one of the defendants in the case, said in his defense that the main reason for his trial was his long-standing friendship with Ekrem İmamoğlu. Referring to his long-standing family ties with İmamoğlu, he stated that he considered him more of a friend and brother than a political figure.

Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People's Party, also congratulated İmamoğlu on his birthday in a message he sent to the court. He wrote in the message: "We are going through difficult days, but we will succeed and we will win. The day when I will embrace you in freedom is not far away. Happy birthday; I am happy that you are my friend."

The court session ended after the defendants continued their defenses and the case was postponed to the next day.