Kavala says 'espionage' charges against him not based on laws
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Businessperson and rights advocate Osman Kavala, who has been arrested for 1,490 days, has said that his imprisonment is intended to intimidate all civil society activists.
"The most striking characteristic of the espionage charge brought against me after the ECtHR decision to continue my arrest is that it is not based on the description of espionage in the laws," he told DW Turkish.
"Therefore, the obligation to present appropriate evidence for the crime of espionage in the law disappears. For this reason, I had likened the charges to Nazi-era practices."
In the last hearing of the case concerning the 2013 Gezi Park protests on Friday (November 26), the court ruled for the continuation of Kavala's arrest.
CLICK - Gezi trial | Kavala's arrest to continue
After the decision Amnesty called on the Council of Europe to start infringement proceedings against Turkey for its failure to implement an ECtHR judgment for Kavala's release.
Kavala pointed out that the indictment cites the works of Anadolu Kültür, which he chairs, about the experiences of the Kurds and Armenians in Turkey as indications of espionage.
The fact that the court accepted such and indictment and ordered Kavala's arrest on such charges show that there is a new threat against NGOs in the country, he noted.
When asked about his physical and mental health condition, Kavala said he hadn't had a serious problem. "Messages of support coming from my friends and those who don't know me from the country and abroad give me strength," he said.
"I hope my mental health is good as well. However, I think whether there is damage or not will be understood when I resume my normal life."
Summary of Osman Kavala's arrest17 October 2017: Osman Kavala was detained. 1 November 2017: Kavala was ordered arrest on the charges of 'attempting to overthrow the government or to prevent it from exercising its functions' (Article 312 of the TCC) and 'attempting to overthrow the constitutional order through force and violence' (Article 309 of the TCC). 24 December 2018: The investigation files under Article 309 and 312 of the TCC were separated. 19 February 2019: The first indictment against Kavala was issued under Article 312 of the TCC 16 months after he was arrested. 11 October 2019: A release order was issued in favor of Kavala on the charge under Article 309 of the TCC. 10 December 2019: The ECtHR ruled that Kavala's detention constituted a violation of human rights and that he should be released immediately. 18 February 2020: A decision of acquittal was issued in the trial heard under Article 312 of the TCC. 19 February 2020: After the decision of acquittal, Kavala was not released but was arrested again on the charge under Article 309 of the TCC. 9 March 2020: Kavala was ordered arrest under Article 328 of the TCC. 20 March 2020: The second release order was issued in favor of Kavala under Article 309 of the TCC. However, his detention on the charge of espionage under Article 328 of the TCC continued. 3 September 2020: The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which oversees the execution of the judgments of the ECtHR, ruled that the judgment of the ECtHR should be executed and that Kavala should be released immediately. 29 September 2020: The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkey decided to examine the application of Kavala regarding his unlawful detention. However, it postponed the examination as the second indictment including the charges under Articles 309 and 328 (espionage) of the TCC was submitted to the court on the same day. 29 September 2020: In the second meeting in which this matter was discussed, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ruled that an interim decision should be drafted to be issued in the event that the judgment of the ECtHR is not executed. 3 December 2020: The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe issued an interim decision that Kavala should be released immediately and that the Constitutional Court should examine the file in accordance with the judgment of the ECtHR without further delay. 15 December 2020: The Constitutional Court decided to examine the application regarding the unlawful detention and ruled that the file should be referred to the General Assembly of the Constitutional Court. 18 December 2020: The 36th Assize Court ruled that the detention shall continue. The second hearing was scheduled on 5 February. 29 December 2020: The Constitutional Court ruled with 8 to 7 votes that the decision of Kavala did not constitute any violation of right. The reasoned judgment included the strongly dissenting opinions of the judges who voted that the detention constituted a violation of rights. 22 January 2021: The Appellate Court overturned the decision of acquittal in the Gezi trial. It ruled that the file concerning this trial shall be examined together with the files under Articles 309 and 328 of the TCC. 28 January 2021: After the decision of acquittal was overturned, the 30th Assize Court issued a preliminary proceedings report and scheduled the trial concerning the consolidated files on 21 May 2021. 5 February 2021: In the trial heard in the 36th Assize Court, the Court ruled that Kavala's trial shall be consolidated with the Gezi Trial, which will be heard again in the 30th Assize Court under Article 312 of the TCC, and that the detention of Kavala on the charges of espionage under Article 328 of the TCC shall continue. 30 April 2021: As a result of its examination of the detention, the 30th Assize Court ruled that the detention of Kavala shall continue. 12 May 2021: In its weekly meeting of 12 May 2021, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe reviewed Kavala's file and expressed their great concern that Turkish authorities and courts did not take the necessary steps to end Kavala's the continued detention against the judgment of the ECtHR. The Committee urged the member states to bring up the continued detention and immediate release of Kavala during their meetings with Turkish authorities. It pointed out that the detention of Kavala would be reviewed again by the 30th Assize Court on 21 May 2021, and urged the authorities to take all the necessary steps to ensure the release of Kavala. CLICK - Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe: Release Demirtaş and Kavala |
(HA/VK)