European rights court orders Turkey to free imprisoned businessman
Philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala has spent almost a decade in jail over charges rights groups say are politically motivated.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Turkey to release Osman Kavala, a businessman and activist who has been imprisoned for nearly a decade. Kavala was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for charges linked to 2013 protests and a failed coup attempt three years later. Rights groups and Kavala argue the charges are politically motivated, and the ECHR ruled on Tuesday that his continued detention violates his rights to a fair trial, freedom of expression, and association.
The court found that the aggravated life sentence amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment. The ECHR's ruling exposes a systemic issue in Turkey, with the detention and prosecution of political opponents, human rights defenders, and journalists. The Turkish government maintains that its courts are independent. Kavala, 68, became a symbol of the government's crackdown on civil society after his arrest in 2017.
He was initially acquitted in 2020 but rearrested on new charges in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. Amnesty International has called for Kavala's immediate and unconditional release.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
