European Court’s call to free Turkish philanthropist may fall on deaf ears
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala must be released in the absence of evidence to support his charges, but legal observers say Ankara is unlikely to comply.
The European Court of Human Rights called today for the immediate release of the prominent Turkish businessman, human rights defender and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been languishing in a Turkish prison for the past 770 days. Kavala is accused of seeking to overthrow the government and the constitutional order through force and violence.
The court, whose rulings are legally binding, said it has found that Turkish authorities were unable to provide reasonable evidence that the 62-year-old had committed an offense.
Kavala, along with 15 other co-defendants, faces life imprisonment without parole if convicted. All have denied any wrongdoing.
The Turkish government has not yet commented on the court’s ruling and it remains unclear whether it will heed the European body’s demand for his freedom ahead of Kavala’s next hearing, which is set for Dec. 24-25.
