NEWS

Date published: 22 October 2021 17:12

~ Modified On: 22 October 2021 17:40

8 min Read

Kavala: My participation in hearings, presenting a defense would be meaningless

Noting that Erdoğan’s remarks have left "no possibility for a fair trial," jailed businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala has said, “I believe my participation in the hearings and presenting a defense would be meaningless.”

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Kavala: My participation in hearings, presenting a defense would be meaningless

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Osman Kavala has responded to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has recently targeted him over the statements of 10 ambassadors who made a call for his immediate release in a joint written statement.

Noting that he has been arrested for four years even though the offenses charged against him are not based on any evidence, Osman Kavala has reminded Erdoğan that he has not been convicted.

Defining Erdoğan's remarks as humiliating and blemishing, Kavala has said that his remarks are an attack on human dignity.

"These are messages that create the impression that I am guilty and directly affect the judiciary", Kavala has said. Indicating that "there has remained no possibility for a fair trial under these circumstances", he has said, "I believe my participation in the hearings would be meaningless."

Osman Kavala has made the following statement via his attorneys:

"The remarks such as 'leftover of Soros' that Mr. President Erdoğan used about me upon his visit from Africa are extremely unfortunate and they do not suit the solemnity of the position of Presidency.

"I served in the executive board, like other executive board members, of the Open Society Foundation, which was established and operated in compliance with the laws with the aim of supporting civil society organizations in our country transparently.

"In no period did I serve as its chair. I had neither the authority nor the status to represent the Open Society Foundation or George Soros.

"The meetings of George Soros during his visits to Turkey, which I and other members of the executive board attended, took place as part of the Foundation's works and civil society activities.

"As far as I know, Mr. Erdoğan had met George Soros before this foundation was established and until after Soros' visit to Turkey in November 2015 for the last time, the dialogue between the Justice and Development Party politicians and Presidential advisers and Soros had continued. I was not involved in those meetings; I do not have knowledge of their content.

"Even though the offenses charged against me are not based on any evidence, I have been arrested for four years.

"The humiliating and blemishing remarks of the President about a person who has not been convicted and whose trial is ongoing constitute an attack on human dignity. These are messages that create the impression that I am guilty and directly affect the judiciary.

"Under these circumstances, as there has remained no possibility for a fair trial, I believe that my participation in the hearings and presenting a defense would now be meaningless.

"As a citizen who defends the rule of law, I think it is not right for me to do a deed that would legitimize this situation that the judiciary is subjected to."

What happened?

October 18, 2021 marked the fourth year since the businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala was detained in Turkey.

On this occasion, the embassies of 10 countries released a written statement calling for his release by specifically referring to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings about his case.

Shortly after this statement was shared with the public, some ministers and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) politicians denounced it. The state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) also reported that the ambassadors of the 10 countries had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey over their statement calling for Osman Kavala's release.

President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also slammed the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the US, Germany and France, who had called for the release of Osman Kavala.

"Why do these 10 ambassadors make this statement? Those who defend this leftover of [George] Soros are striving to get him released," Erdoğan said upon his visit from Africa and briefly added: " "I told our foreign minister that we can't have the luxury to host those in our country. [...] Is it your place to teach lessons to Turkey? Who are you?"

"The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) gave a decision. They want to convict Turkey regarding this Soros leftover," Erdoğan remarked. "Do you release bandits, killers or terrorists in your country?"

A brief summary of Osman Kavala's arrest

17 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/SD)