ANKARA: The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday ordered Turkey to immediately release jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas.
In their ruling, the chamber’s judges said the 47-year-old’s human rights had been violated and his pre-trial detention for years served as a cover for narrowing pluralism in the country.
The court found that Turkey had interfered with the freedom of expression of the former leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) by lifting his parliamentary immunity and violated his right to be elected for parliament.
Demirtas, who has been in prison on terror-related charges since November 2016, was a two-time presidential candidate against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and co-chaired the HDP between 2014 and 2018.
Kavala has been behind bars since November 2017.
He was acquitted in February in a separate trial in which he was accused of organising and financing the Gezi Park environmental protests in Istanbul.
The crackdown on the demonstrators triggered nationwide anti-government protests, also representing the largest of such mobilisation against then-prime minister, now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
However, before Kavala could walk free, a new warrant was issued for him for espionage and attempting to overthrow the constitutional order in connection with the failed coup.
This Week, Turkey’s Constitutional Court did not rule on the legality of Kavala’s pre-trial detention, but referred the matter to its General Council, which lawyers viewed as a delaying tactic.
A Turkish philanthropist businessman and human rights defender has denied accusations of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government in connection with a failed coup four years ago, telling a court he opposes all efforts to take over power by force.
Osman Kavala addressed the court on Friday from his prison in the outskirts of Istanbul through a judicial video conference system during the opening hearing of a new trial against him, which human rights groups have denounced as unjust and politically motivated.
Kavala, 63, was acquitted earlier this year of “terrorism”-related charges for allegedly organising and financing mass anti-government protests that erupted in 2013.
Turkish Philanthropist Stands Trial for Alleged Ties to Coup aawsat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aawsat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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December 18, 2020 10:32 AM By MEHMET GUZEL and SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press
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FILE - In this April 29, 2015 file photo, Osman Kavala, a Turkish philanthropist businessman and human rights defender is photographed, in Istanbul. Kavala rejected accusations of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government in connection to a failed coup four years ago, telling a court on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 that he opposes all efforts to takeover power by force. Osman Kavala addressed the court from his prison in the outskirts of Istanbul through a judicial video conference system in the opening hearing of a new trial against him, which human rights groups have denounced as unjust and politically-motivated.