Turkish philanthropist and businessman Osman Kavala appeared in an Istanbul courtroom Friday in a case rights organizations say is emblematic of Turkey’s crackdown on civil society.
Kavala was first arrested in November 2017, accused of organizing the nationwide Gezi Park protests that erupted in Istanbul in 2013. In February, the 63-year-old Kavala was acquitted of the protest-related charge, but rearrested hours later on charges of spying for the United States and aiding in the attempted 2016 coup that sought to topple Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan. Kavala denies all the allegations.