The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Turkey to immediately release prominent businessman and activist Osman Kavala. Kavala, 68, has been imprisoned for nearly a decade on charges that human rights groups describe as politically motivated.
The ECHR ruled that Kavala's life sentence, which was handed down in April 2022, is now null and void. This conviction followed his initial acquittal in February 2020 on charges related to anti-government protests in 2013. Within hours of his acquittal, Kavala was rearrested on new charges concerning a failed military coup in 2016. His acquittal related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests was overturned in January 2021.
The 2013 demonstrations, which began in Istanbul's Gezi Park, were the first significant challenge to the authority of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was Turkey's prime minister at the time. Amnesty International stated that prosecutors falsely alleged the protests were an attempt to overthrow the government.
In 2019, the ECHR had previously demanded Kavala's immediate release, deeming his detention arbitrary and politically motivated. However, Turkey did not comply with that ruling. Amnesty International's Eve Geddie urged Turkish authorities to "free Osman Kavala immediately and unconditionally," stating that "this obstruction of justice must end."
Kavala, who was born in Paris and educated in the United Kingdom, previously ran a cultural center. He has faced accusations from Erdogan of being an agent for billionaire George Soros.
Turkey has a history of not complying with ECHR rulings concerning Kavala. The Council of Europe, which oversees the execution of ECHR decisions by its 46 member states, has the power to suspend membership or voting rights for serious violations of the rule of law. A meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers in mid-September is expected to address the Kavala case, though it remains uncertain if punitive measures will be debated.