The Council of Europe will launch criminal proceedings against Turkey if the country does not release Osman Kavala after all. The philanthropist and businessman Kavala has been in pre-trial detention for four years on charges of involvement in the Gezi protests and the failed coup d’état in 2016.
Two years ago, the European Court of Human Rights demanded the immediate release of Kavala, because there is no evidence to support the charges against him. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and must therefore comply with the decision.
The country has until January 19 to take action, but the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately called on the Council of Europe to respect the independence of its own judiciary.
fire letter
This could be the start of a long criminal procedure against Turkey. The Council of Europe will decide in February at the earliest whether there will indeed be criminal proceedings, if Kavala is still incarcerated. Such a procedure can ultimately lead to the withholding of voting rights in the council or even to exclusion from the council.
On November 26, Kavala was informed that he is currently stays behind bars. A month earlier, ten ambassadors, including the Dutch one, pleaded for his release in a burning letter. President Erdogan threatened to expel the ambassadors from the country, but that fizzled out.
–
