Campaign for Osman Kavala: Crime not found

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October 18 (yesterday) marked the 3rd year since businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala, who is still behind bars, was detained.

On the occasion of his third year behind bars, a campaign has been launched on "Free Osman Kavala" (Kavala'ya Özgürlük) Twitter account.

Shared on Twitter under the hashtag #CrimeNotFound (#AradığınızSuçBulunamadı), a video shows some people shuffling through the pages of books, unable to find a sentence that they are looking for.

#OsmanKavala was detained 3 years ago today.#CrimeNotFound#FreeOsmanKavala pic.twitter.com/fyFSyE79Br

— Kavala'ya Özgürlük (@FreeOsmanKavala) October 18, 2020

Actress Ar dedicates award to journalists, Kavala

On the other side, prominent actress Müjde Ar from Turkey, who was the Honorary Guest of this year's Balkan Panorama Film Festival has dedicated her award to arrested journalists and Osman Kavala.

Unable to attend the festival due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Ar has sent a video message and said:

"I dedicate this award granted to me to the journalists who have been held in prison due to the news they reported and to my friend and a real friend of culture and arts Osman Kavala, who has been kept in prison for three years without any evidence and despite the ECtHR judgements."

Balkan Panorama Film Fest. Onur Konuğu #MüjdeAr: Bana verilen bu ödülü yaptığı haberlerden ötürü hapishanede olan gazetecilere ve hakkında hiçbir delil olmadan, AİHM kararlarına rağmen 3 yıldır cezaevinde tutulan dostum, gerçek 1 kültür-sanat dostu #OsmanKavala’ya ithaf ediyorum. pic.twitter.com/UlbUNL4jZM

— Kavala'ya Özgürlük (@FreeOsmanKavala) October 18, 2020

The new indictment issued against Osman Kavala, who has been remanded in custody for "obtaining state information that needs to remain confidential for political and military espionage purposes," has recently been accepted by the İstanbul 36th Heavy Penal Court. Behind bars for 3 years, he is now facing aggravated life imprisonment on the offenses charged. 

What happened?

Businessperson Osman Kavala, who was on his way back from Antep, was taken into custody at İstanbul Atatürk Airport on October 18, 2017.

On November 1, 2017, it was announced that Kavala was arrested on charges of "attempting to change the Constitutional order and to overthrow the government." In the official document referring him to court with a request of arrest, it was alleged that he was the head and financier of Gezi.

The sixth and final hearing of the lawsuit filed into Gezi resistance was held at the İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court in Silivri on February 18, 2020.

Announcing its ruling after the statements of defendants and their attorneys, the court board has ruled that Osman Kavala, Mücella Yapıcı, Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Ali Hakan Altınay, Yiğit Aksakoğlu, Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, Çiğdem Mater Utku and Mine Özerden shall be acquitted as "there was no concrete and material evidence as to the committal of the offenses charged." The court has also ruled that businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala, the only arrested defendant of the case, shall be released.

Osman 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 Prison in İstanbul.

Announcing its ruling on Kavala on December 10, 2019, the ECtHR concluded that his rights were violated by his imprisonment.

The ECtHR concluded that the European Convention on Human Rights was violated on the grounds that Kavala was arrested without any reasonable suspicion and with political motives and that the Constitutional Court did not examine his application within a reasonable period of time.

This ruling became final on May 12, 2020. While this ruling has not yet been put into effect, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe made a call to Turkey about the final ruling of the ECtHR and urged Turkey to implement the ECtHR's ruling of right violation and to release him. (RT/SD)