ECtHR: Osman Kavala must be released as soon as possible

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled 15-2 in favor of Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala who was arrested at the Gezi Park protests and has been detained for nearly nine years. This is the ECtHR’s third proceeding regarding the Kavala case, all of which have ruled in favor of the detainee.

BIA News Desk

ECtHR: Osman Kavala must be released as soon as possible

Today the ECtHR ruled that Turkey had violated Article 10 (freedom of expression) and Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Additionally, the Court also found that Kavala’s deprivation of liberty following his conviction on 25 April 2022 was based on a flagrant denial of justice.

The Court ruled that Articles 6/1, concerning the right to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial jury; Article 5/1, concerning the right to liberty and security; Article 18, which prohibits restrictions on Convention rights from being applied for purposes other than those prescribed; and Article 3, because the aggravated life sentence offered no prospect of conditional release and no mechanisms for reviewing whether continued imprisonment remained justified, had been violated.

The Court said that Turkey must secure Kavala’s release at the earliest possible date.

The Court also held that the state is to pay Kavala 70,000 euros and 43,342.57 euros respectively within three months. After the determined three month period expires a simple interest rate shall be payable at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.

Kavala was initially detained on Nov. 1, 2017 based on allegations that he had organized and financed the 2013 Gezi Park protest, one of the largest protest Turkish movements over the last decades, which drew millions across the country. He has remained in prison since then despite being acquitted of the Gezi Park case in 2020, as new charges of “espionage” stemming from the same investigation were brought.

This is a breaking story to be updated

(HA/İK)

Origin

Istanbul

Osman Kavala ECtHR

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