Turkey sends philanthropist back to prison despite European ruling
Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and 15 other defendants attended the fifth hearing of the Gezi trial today, when defense lawyers left the court room in protest of the prosecution's violation of Turkish legal norms.
ISTANBUL — After 819 days in pretrial detention, Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala was sent back to prison Tuesday on terrorism charges despite a Dec. 10 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights calling for his immediate release.
The decision came after a tense court hearing in Silivri, in which about 50 defense lawyers staged a mass walkout in protest of the judges’ refusal to recuse themselves after allegations of legal misconduct.
Observers said the proceedings were evidence Turkish courts lacked independence and lengthy pretrial detentions continue to be used to punish human rights defenders, journalists and political dissidents.
“It’s shambolic. It’s farcical. It would be funny if it wasn’t this tragic,” Milena Buyum, a Turkey campaigner for Amnesty International, told Al-Monitor after attending the trial.
