European rights court orders Turkey to free imprisoned businessman

What the report says

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Turkey to release Osman Kavala, a businessman, philanthropist and civil society figure who has been in prison for nearly a decade. The court said his continued detention was unlawful and that his rights to a fair trial, free expression and association had been violated. It also said his case reflected a wider problem in Turkey involving the detention and prosecution of political opponents, human rights defenders and journalists.

According to the BBC, Kavala was first detained in 2017 and later sentenced to life in prison in 2022 over allegations linked to the 2013 Gezi Park protests and a later failed coup attempt. He and rights groups have long argued that the case is politically motivated. The court said the measures against him were aimed at punishing him for his role in the Gezi Park demonstrations and for his public views as a human rights defender. It also described the life sentence as amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment.

This is not the first time the Strasbourg court has intervened in the case. The BBC reports that it ordered Kavala’s release in 2019, but Turkey did not comply. Turkish authorities have maintained that the country’s courts are independent. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have urged his immediate release following the latest ruling. The case remains a significant point of tension between Ankara and European institutions.