CHP MP Çakırözer visits Kavala in prison ahead of Gezi trial

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Eskişehir MP Utku Çakırözer visited arrested businessperson Osman Kavala in Silivri Prison in İstanbul ahead of the hearing of the Gezi trial today (April 22).

Speaking about Kavala, who has been behind bars for 1,633 days as of yesterday, Çakırözer made a call for Kavala's freedom:

"Osman Kavala has been separated from his loved ones for 1,633 days, so for 4.5 years. He has been in Silivri jail unjustly and unlawfully. Omnibus cases of espionage and çArşı have been created with no evidence so that he will not be released from prison.

"He was acquitted once and released twice. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concluded that his detention was a violation of rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to bring infringement proceedings against Turkey. In spite of this, Osman Kavala was not released at the hearings that were held."

Çakırözer made a call for the acquittal of all defendants ahead of the next and probably final hearing of the Gezi trial today:

In every judicial package and Human Rights Action Plan brought to the Parliament, it is said that no one will be jailed due to their thoughts and expressions. Despite the ECtHR's rulings of rights violation, people are jailed because they expressed their opinions. Criminals of thought are locked up in prisons. Everyone has the right to express their opinions freely and lead a fair and free life in this country. This atrocity that Kavala is made to go through and this shame must be ended. He must be free immediately. The defendants of the Gezi trial must be acquitted, too.

About the Gezi trial

Who is on trial? Ali Hakan Altınay, Mücella Yapıcı, Ayşe Pınar Alabora, Can Dündar, Çiğdem Mater Utku, Gökçe Yılmaz, Handan Meltem Arıkan, Hanzade Hikmet Germiyanoğlu, İnanç Emekçi, Mehmet Ali Alabora, Mine Özerden, Osman Kavala, Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Yiğit Aksakoğlu, Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, Henry Jack Barkey.

Who were the plaintiffs (complainants)? 746 people, including the 61st term government. Among the plaintiffs were the then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the then Deputy PMs and Ministers such as Bülent Arınç, Ali Babacan, Beşir Atalay, Bekir Bozdağ, Binali Yıldırım, Egemen Bağış, Erdoğan Bayraktar, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Muammer Güler, Ömer Çelik, Mehmet Şimşek, Nabi Avcı, Zafer Çağlayan, Sadullah Ergin.

What are the accusations? In the indictment, the Gezi Park protesters are described as "attempting to stage a coup". 16 rights defenders (+Henry Jack Barkey) are facing charges for "organizing the protests". (AÖ/SD)