Turkey sentences art patron Osman Kavala to life in prison

the patron Turkish Osman Kavala was sentenced this Monday in Istanbul to life in prison, without the possibility of reducing his sentence, accused of having tried to overthrow the government, an AFP journalist confirmed.

Osman kavalawho has always denied the charges against him, has been detained for four and a half years in Silivri high-security prison, near Istanbul.

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Seven other defendants, who appeared at the same time as the 64-year-old publisher and billionaire, were sentenced to 18 years in prison, accused of having given him their support.

Osman Kavala, well known in Turkish civil society, is accused, among other charges, of having tried to overthrow the government by financing demonstrations against the Turkish Executive, in the so-called Gezi movement of 2013.

The three defense attorneys for Osman Kavala called attention on Monday, during their arguments, to the lack of evidence and the viciousness that power has put into this process, which is eminently political.

He was only acquitted of the espionage charge.

Among the international reactions, both the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) called on Monday for the “immediate release” of Kavala.

The spokesman for US diplomacy, Ned Price, said that “His sentence is unjust and contrary to respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law” and it showed “very concerned about the ongoing judicial harassment of civil society.”

The representative of the NGO Human Rights Watch, Emma Sinclair-Webb, present in court, denounced on Twitter the “worst possible outcome (…) horrible, cruel and diabolical.”

Amnesty International’s director for Europe, Nils Muižnieks, lashed out in a statement “parody of justice” what “defies sanity”.

Before the closure of the debates and the judges withdrew, Kavala stated that “Theories of the plot, put forward for political and ideological reasons, prevented an impartial analysis of the events and disconnected (them) from reality.”

From jail, by videoconference and dressed in a spotless white shirt, Kavala followed the hearing and heard the verdict.

Kavala’s three lawyers stressed that the judges never asked him “Where was it” when the events he is accused of occurred.

“There was no process: you did not ask a single question to osman kavala”, said lawyer Tolga Aytöre. “Not even” He was asked if he was in Gezi Park, the epicenter of the 2013 demonstrations that took place across the country, he added.

“Put down the phones”

The last defender who spoke, Ilkan Koyuncu, said that “Kavala is accused of having played a role in the coup in 2016, but no one asked him where he was on the night of the coup.”

The representative of the Pen Club, an association for the defense of freedom of expression, Caroline Stockford, asked the judges “get off the phones” to listen to the defense, suggesting that they received instructions on the cell phone screen.

Before the court on Friday Kavala denounced the influence of President Erdogan in his trial.

As in every audience, some ten Western diplomats were present to show their support. to the man detested by the Erdogan regime.

nicknamed the “red millionaire” for his detractors, Osman kavalaborn in Paris, was arrested in October 2017.

The case kavala triggered a diplomatic crisis in the autumn, as Turkey threatened to expel a dozen Western ambassadors, including the United States, who demanded his release.

Since 2019, the European Court of Human Rights has demanded his release.

In February, he launched “an infringement procedure” against Turkeya rare decision that could lead to sanctions against Ankara if kavala it is not released quickly.

Source: Elcomercio

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