European Court Says the Turkish Judiciary Has a 'Systematic Problem' in Ruling on Philanthropist
The court said Kavala’s case showed structural flaws that could let the executive influence sensitive judicial decisions, and it repeated its call for his release.
- On Tuesday, The European Court criticized Turkey's courts over the imprisonment of philanthropist Osman Kavala, saying the case highlighted a 'systemic problem' marked by detention of Human Rights defenders and journalists.
- Kavala was first detained in 2017 on accusations of financing protests four years earlier; he received a life sentence without parole in 2022 on charges tied to 2013 protests and a 2016 coup attempt.
- The court ruled his conviction 'null and void' and stated violations 'also revealed structural shortcomings which affected the guarantees of independence and impartiality of the judiciary,' facilitating executive influence on sensitive cases.
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed previous court rulings, while The Turkish government maintains its justice system is independent. The case sparked a 2021 diplomatic crisis when Erdogan threatened to declare 10 foreign ambassadors in Ankara persona non grata.
- Human Rights advocates and opposition groups argue that Erdogan's government has weaponized the judiciary to target rivals after more than two decades in power, a concern underscored by the European Court's findings.
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ECHR says Osman Kavala case exposes systemic flaws in Turkiye's judiciary
The European Court of Human Rights again condemned Osman Kavala's imprisonment and urged his release. The ruling says his case reflects deeper judicial independence concerns in politically sensitive trials.
Associated Press News
European court says the Turkish judiciary has a 'systematic problem' in ruling on philanthropist
The European Court of Human Rights has criticized Turkey's courts over the imprisonment of philanthropist Osman Kavala.
On Tuesday, the Court of Strasbourg ruled that the Turkish patron in 2022 had been sentenced to life imprisonment for "an attempt to overthrow the government" and ordered Ankara to pay him more than 110,000 euros.
Here you can find information on the topic "Processes". Read now "Case Osman Kavala: Human Rights Court condemns Turkey".
More than seven years ago, the Court of Justice in Strasbourg called for the release of the Turkish cultural promoter Kavala. The Court now finds further violations of human rights.
Turkish cultural promoter Osman Kavala has been in prison in Turkey since 2017. The European Court of Justice says unfairly – and is now increasing pressure on Ankara again.
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