European rights court orders Turkey to free imprisoned businessman

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Turkey to immediately release imprisoned activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala. Kavala has been detained for nearly a decade, facing charges related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests and a 2016 coup attempt, which rights groups assert are politically motivated. The ECHR ruled that his continued detention was unlawful, violating his rights to a fair trial, freedom of expression, and association. The court stated that Kavala's punishment was primarily to silence him for his activism and opinions, and his life sentence constituted inhuman and degrading treatment. The ECHR also highlighted that Kavala's case reveals systemic issues in Turkey regarding the detention and prosecution of political opponents, human rights defenders, and journalists, pointing to structural shortcomings in the judiciary's independence and impartiality.

The European Court of Human Rights has criticized Turkey's judiciary, calling the imprisonment of philanthropist Osman Kavala a "systemic problem" indicative of targeting political opponents. Kavala, who founded a peace and dialogue nonprofit, was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 on charges related to 2013 protests and a 2016 coup attempt. The court reiterated its 2019 call for his release, stating his conviction should be void and that Turkey violated his fundamental rights. The court cited structural issues affecting judicial independence and impartiality, suggesting executive influence in politically sensitive cases. Turkey's government maintains its judiciary is impartial, and President Erdogan has dismissed the court's rulings. Kavala was initially detained in 2017, acquitted in 2020, but rearrested on coup-related charges, leading to his life sentence.