PACE Rapporteurs Call for Immediate Release of Kavala After ECtHR Decision

The ECtHR on Tuesday rejected an appeal by Turkey to bring Kavala's case to the court's Grand Chamber.

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PACE Rapporteurs Call for Immediate Release of Kavala After ECtHR Decision

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Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's (PACE) rapporteurs have called for the immediate release of Osman Kavala following a judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Tuesday (May 12).

Kavala, a businessperson and a rights defender, has been behind bars since October 18, 2017.

Releasing a written statement, PACE rapporteurs for Turkey, Thomas Hammarberg and John Howell, and the general rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Council of Europe member States, Alexandra Louis, noted that the ECtHR ruling has become final and urged the authorities in Turkey to abide by their legal and humanitarian obligations.

CLICK - Courts Need to Comply with ECtHR Decision, Says Kavala's Attorney

Here is the full text of the statement:

"The ruling of the Strasbourg Court is now final. We urge the Turkish authorities to implement it and to immediately release Osman Kavala who has been detained since 18 October 2017.

"We also recall that the ruling of the Court not only referred to the Gezi trial, but also to the investigation of Mr Kavala's alleged involvement in the failed coup of 15 July 2016, which was used to justify his groundless re-arrest on 19 February 2020.

"His immediate release is all the more important because Mr Kavala, like other politicians, civil society activists or journalists detained for their opinions, remains exposed to the Covid-19 virus in prison as a result of being excluded from the recent law allowing early and conditional releases in the context of the pandemic. This remains a matter of deep concern to us.

"By releasing Mr Kavala, the Turkish authorities would abide by their legal and humanitarian obligations. Moreover, they would send the right signal to Turkish civil society, a signal that has been expected for a long time.

What happened?

On June 8, 2018, Osman Kavala appealed to the ECtHR via his attorneys, stating that this pre-trial detention violated Article 5 (Right to Liberty and Security) of the European Convention on Human Rights and that the verdict of arrest against him was given with political motives.

Anadolu Kültür Inc. Executive Board Chair Kavala was the only arrested defendant in the 16-defendant Gezi Trial, which started on June 24, 2019. Having been acquitted in this trial, Kavala was arrested again, this time on charge of "political or military espionage." Kavala is still held in Silivri.

About Osman Kavala

Businessperson, rights defender.

He founded the Anadolu Kültür, a non-profit cultural institution, in 2002.

With Murat Belge, he participated in the foundation of one of the most prominent publishing houses in Turkey, the İletişim Publications.

He served as member of administrative boards of business institutions and NGOs such as Turkey-Poland Business Council, Turkey-Greece Business Council, and Center For Democracy in Southeast Europe.

Kavala is a member of Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Administrative Board, Open Society Institute Consulting Board, and supporter of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, History Foundation and Diyarbakır Culture House.

He graduated from the Department of Economy at Manchester University. He has been working as an executive at Kavala Group since 1982.

Kavala was born in Paris in 1957.

(HA/VK)