Deutsche Welle
Dec. 18, 2020
Jailed Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala is going on trial on
charges connected with a failed 2016 coup. His yearslong imprisonment
without a conviction has been condemned by rights groups across the
world.
Kavala has been in prison in Turkey for more than three years without
being convicted of a crime
Turkish civil society leader Osman Kavala is to appear on Friday
before a court in Istanbul for a fresh trial seen by critics as part
of a government campaign to crack down on dissent.
Kavala, a 63-year-old businessman and philanthropist, who is known
partly for his efforts to promote human rights through the arts, has
been in prison in Turkey for more than three years without a
conviction. His case has drawn condemnation from around the world,
with the EU and US both calling for his immediate release.
Kavala is the director of Turkey's Anadolu Kultur civil society
organization and has supported a range of art and social projects. He
was also a founding member of philanthropist George Soros' Open
Society Foundation in Turkey.
He was acquitted in February of attempting to overthrow the Turkish
government during 2013 protests against the planned demolition of an
Istanbul park that turned into anti-government rallies. However, he
was rearrested almost immediately on fresh charges of espionage and
trying to destroy the constitutional order in connection with a failed
coup in July 2016.
Quashing dissent
In the aftermath of the coup, Turkish authorities have carried out a
massive crackdown on suspected government opponents. Tens of thousands
of judges, teachers, police and civil servants have been suspended or
dismissed from their jobs, with many arrested and imprisoned.
Human rights group say that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
used the failed coup as a pretext to enact authoritarian policies.
Turkey's constitutional court is currently deliberating on whether
Kavala's detention is lawful. It is not known when it will deliver its
verdict.
