Response from Istanbul

The well-known lawyer, human rights defender, Amal Clooney, brings the case of the Turkish activist and philanthropist back to international news Osman Kavala.

Kavala has been incarcerated since 2021 after being sentenced by a Turkish court to life imprisonment for participating in the 2013 Gezi Park anti-government riots and coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.

Osman Kavala who draws his origin from the city I’m riding and maintained close relations with Greece remains in prison despite the acquittal decision of a Turkish court and the request of the European Court of Human Rights for his release.

And while his case has recently fallen on the backburner, the decision by Amal and George Clooney to intervene in the Kavala case through the Clooney Foundation along with other international organizations brought the call for his release to the fore.

Global dimensions

Next week, the Kavala case is once again on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which is expected to examine the Kavala file and take a new decision. In addition, a second judicial process for Kavala begins at the ECtHR. The Clooney Foundation also participates in this process.

The case is expected to take on global proportions. In addition to his file, which is currently on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers, Osman Kavala appealed for a second time to the ECtHR on January 18, 2024, on the grounds that the final judgment against him violated several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Turkish government is expected to take its views and defense on this second application to Strasbourg in the coming days. But the involvement of the Clooney Foundation and other well-known organizations will embarrass the Turkish government, which is bound to obey any decision since Turkey is a party to the ECHR, or face sanctions, including expulsion from its Council. Europe.