ISTANBUL — Ayse Bugra, the wife of jailed Turkish civil society leader Osman Kavala, said a new indictment accusing him of involvement in a failed military coup has shaken her belief that he can receive a fair trial and his years-long incarceration has been “torture” for their family.
Kavala, who worked on cultural heritage projects and efforts to reconcile Turks with Kurds and Armenians, has spent almost three years in prison without a conviction. Last week, an Istanbul court accepted an indictment that seeks a life sentence without the possibility of parole for Kavala, who marked his 63rd birthday behind bars this month, and an additional 20 years for espionage.