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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Türkiye to release jailed businessperson Osman Kavala “at the earliest possible date,” on Tuesday, ruling that his criminal conviction was “null and void” under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The 17-judge Grand Chamber claimed that Türkiye violated six provisions of the Convention in Kavala’s case and ordered the country to pay €113,342 ($132,267), including €70,000 in non-pecuniary damages and legal costs.
Kavala, 68, has been imprisoned since 2017 and is serving an aggravated life sentence imposed in 2022 over attempting to overthrow the government in connection with the 2013 Gezi Park protests.
In the summer of 2013, a small number of demonstrations in Istanbul’s Gezi Park grew into a nationwide wave of protests against the government that left 8 protesters and a police officer dead.
The court claims Kavala's aggravated life sentence is incompatible with Article 3 because it offered no meaningful prospect of release or review.
Kavala was detained at Istanbul Airport on Oct. 18, 2017, and arrested on Nov. 1 after 14 days in custody over the Gezi Park investigation.
His lawyers first applied to the ECHR in June 2018.
In December 2019, the court found Kavala’s detention unlawful and said it aimed to silence him and other human rights defenders, ordering his immediate release.
He was acquitted in February 2020 but was immediately detained again on new charges.
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