Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his accusations against Osman Kavala on Wednesday, after his mother-in-law was sentenced to life in prison, despite calls for him to be released by Western governments and international organizations.
“The verdict handed down against someone upset a lot of circles. This person was the Soros of Turkey “, said the head of the Turkish state, paralleling Mr. Kavalas with the American billionaire of Hungarian origin George Soros, the black sheep of several authoritarian regimes.
A figure in so-called civil society in Turkey, Osman Kavala, 64, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison for “attempting to overthrow the government” by funding anti-government mobilizations, particularly the so-called “Gezi movement” in 2013.
The businessman and philanthropist, who became an enemy of the regime, denounced before the judges his prosecution, which he described as his “judicial assassination”, and the influence exerted by the Turkish president on his trial.
In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the imprisonment of the opposition was unjustified, ruling that the purpose was to “silence” and with him “all human rights defenders”, demanding his immediate release.
In the face of the Turkish authorities’ refusal to release him, the Council of Europe – the ECtHR is its judicial arm – launched sanctions proceedings in Ankara in February.
Mr Erdogan claimed last night that the ECtHR had no right to intervene “before the verdict was announced”, adding: “Behold, the verdict has been pronounced. You have to comply. “Whether you do it or not, the decision will be executed.”
The interpretation of the head of the Turkish state is diametrically opposed to the decision of the ECtHR for Mr. Kavalas. The international court has repeatedly demanded the release of the businessman, a claim reiterated on Monday by the Dutch President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CSCE), Tiny Cox.
The United States, Germany, France, Greece and several European officials have also criticized Kavala’s sentencing and demanded his immediate release.
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