An Istanbul prosecutor has presented his final sentencing opinion regarding the Gezi Park case. He demanded aggravated life imprisonment for three defendants in the case: renowned philanthropist Osman Kavala, the only jailed defendant in the case, civil society activist Yiğit Aksakoğlu and architect Mücella Yapıcı.
In their open letter published on the Financial Times today (January 30), a group of prominent politicians and academics from Europe have indicated that the continued detention of businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala despite the verdict of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) "is in clear breach of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR):
Following a court decision to keep civil society leader Osman Kavala behind bars on baseless charges of ‘attempting to overthrow the government’, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum said:
“The court’s decision to ignore the call of the European Court of Human Rights to release Osman Kavala immediately shows just how far Turkey is prepared to go to silence independent civil society.
DUVAR ENGLISH
The Istanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court has ruled for the continuation of arrest of prominent businessman, philanthropist and human rights activist Osman Kavala, who has been in jail for over 800 days. The hearing became the scene of protests when the court rejected Kavala’s lawyers’ recusal demand. The lawyers left the courtroom in protest, which was followed by the audience applauding in support of the lawyers.
Ahead of Turkey's Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations (UN), Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a statement situation of human rights in the country.
"Over the past four years, the Turkish authorities have detained and prosecuted perceived government opponents, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders on broad and vague terrorism and other charges for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression and other non-violent activities," it said.
BİANET
The METU LGBTI+ Solidarity, the organizers of the Pride Parade in the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, is now a member of the European Pride Organizers Association (EPOA).
The Association has announced the membership of the solidarity on its Twitter account: "We're proud and humbled to welcome @odtulgbti, the organisers of #METUPride in Ankara, Turkey, as a member of EPOA. We continue to support them in the ongoing legal proceedings they face for 'illegally' organising a Pride. #DefendMETUPride"
Human Rights Association (İHD) has announced that its Malatya Branch Chair Gönül Öztürkoğlu has been sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison in her final hearing today (December 18). "Activities of human rights advocacy is not a crime", the association has emphasized.
The Republic of Turkey, being party to international conventions, is obliged to protect fundamental rights and freedoms through its legislative, judicial and executive bodies. In cases where domestic law and international treaties contradict over issues on fundamental rights and freedoms, Article 90 of the Constitution acknowledges the jurisdiction of international treaties.
In a joint statement today, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said that the Turkish authorities should carry out the European Court ruling and release Osman Kavala immediately.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on December 10, 2019 that Osman Kavala, a civic leader, has been arbitrarily detained in Turkey since November 2017. The court said that his detention has been carried out and prolonged in bad faith for unlawful purposes, in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, and that he should be immediately released.