Artists, Politicians and Rights Defenders Tell the Story of Osman Kavala

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Berlin Maxim Gorki Theater Arts Director Shermin Langhoff and filmmaker Fatih Akın have launched a new campaign for arrested businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala, who has been behind bars in Silivri Prison in İstanbul for 946 days as of today (June 3).

Under the banner of "Artists United for Osman Kavala", representatives from the arts, politics and civil society have formed an initiative to raise international awareness about Osman Kavala's case.

Under the title "What did Kavala do?", the participants of the campaign will illustrate, in daily video messages on social media, Osman Kavala's devotion to culture and social understanding, as well as his significance for civil society in Turkey – and beyond its borders.

In short video messages, various people tell the story of how Osman Kavala has engaged with their specific project or touched them otherwise. Accordingly, 12 videos have been shared on artistsunitedforosmankavala.com website today.

Osman Kavala has been imprisoned for 946 days. Fatih Akin for Osman Kavala.
-#whatdidkavalado #freeosmankavala #osmankavalayaözgürlük #osmankavala pic.twitter.com/FckefKtsDI

— What Did Kavala Do? (@whatdidkavalado) June 3, 2020

Osman Kavala has been imprisoned for 946 days. İrem Aydemir for Osman Kavala.
_#whatdidkavalado #freeosmankavala #osmankavalayaözgürlük #osmankavala
_@iremxyd pic.twitter.com/JYt8vSAeXx

— What Did Kavala Do? (@whatdidkavalado) June 3, 2020

Langhoff: This moral courage motivates us

Shermin Langhoff, Maxim Gorki Theatre's Artistic Director, has stated the following about Osman Kavala and their initiative:

"This moral courage, this belief in art as a possibility for encounters and dialogue, the spaces of opportunity that Osman Kavala created for art and utopian thought about peace, freedom and equality, also motivate us to keep going. He is our role model.

"Through our initiative we want to raise awareness about Kavala's case on an international level and persuade more people to support his cause."

Speaking about the campaign, filmmaker Fatih Akın has also said, "This action is a bond of friendship from all participants, dedicated to Osman Kavala, a humanitarian in prison."

'We will not stop until he is free'

The following statement has been released by the platform:

"Osman Kavala is a Turkish philanthropist, a socially responsible businessperson, a peace and human rights defender and, above all, an activist and advocate for civil society. Since November 1st 2017, he has been unjustly detained in the high security prison in Silivri, despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) demanding his immediate release.

"One may wonder: What did Kavala do? This question is raised by "Artists United for Osman Kavala", an initiative of film-maker Fatih Akin and theatre-maker Shermin Langhoff, supported by other artists, intellectuals, friends, comrades, human rights defenders, cultural entrepreneurs, journalists and other members of civil society. In short video messages, various people tell the story of how Osman Kavala has engaged with their specific project or touched them otherwise. The result is a mosaic of numerous initiatives that Osman Kavala has supported, many diverse stories of encounters and a polyphony of confessions of friendship and missing.

"The contributions reveal Osman Kavala as an individual who tirelessly worked to bring people with different perspectives together in dialogue, through initiatives in arts and culture and cultural collaborations in Turkey and internationally. Each day we will share another video message and we will not stop until Osman Kavala is free."

In the first 12 video, the following people have talked about Osman Kavala: Filmmakers / directors Fatih Akın and Atom Egoyan, musician Zülfü Livaneli, artist Banu Cennetoğlu, writer Sibylle Berg and artist Katja Riemann, human rights activist Peter Steudtner, Amnesty International Germany Secretary General Markus N. Beeko, Maxim Gorki Theater Artistic Director Shermin Langhoff, Goethe Institute Secretary General Johannes Ebert, businessperson Edzard Reuter, rights defender İrem Aydemir. (HA/SD)