Government formation remains elusive in Israel over cabinet distribution
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Sulaiman
- . October 10, 2021
- . Update: May 15, 2020 10:20 am
Turkey–Kavala case: It is time for the Nothing has changed in Turkey. The pressure of the European Union for the sultan to respect human rights and the international treaties to which he has adhered do not stop the arbitrary arrests of journalists and opponents of the regime. Practices that, according to human rights defenders, amount to crimes against humanity.
An Istanbul court decided Friday to extend the detention of Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who was jailed for four years without being tried. The EU’s threats to punish Ankara for this case were of no avail. According to an AFP reporter, judges in Erdogan’s pay felt there was a lack of “new elements” to justify his release.
A leading figure in Turkish civil society and opposition, Kavala has been accused since 2013 by the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of wanting to destabilize the country. Specifically, he is accused of having promoted the wave of protests against Erdogan that year, nicknamed the Taksim Gezi park movement. They also accused him of wanting to overthrow the government with the failed 2016 coup. Kavala, however, has consistently denied all these accusations. In vain. The accused will have to remain in his cell and be called to appear again in court on November 26.
Amnesty International described Friday’s decision as “cruel punishment, torture for him and his family” and considered it “a day for shame” in Turkey. Despite being acquitted in February 2020, Kavala was arrested the next day again, accused of “supporting” the 2016 coup. “. As with thousands of other cases, keeping Kavala behind bars is a strategy.
In a courtroom packed with numerous American and European diplomats, Kavala spoke at Friday’s hearing by videoconference from Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, where he has been held since October 2017. His wife, Professor of Political Economy Ayse Bugra of the Bogazici University of Istanbul, also attended the audience. “I don’t feel like I’m coming out of a trial,” Bugra told reporters after the hearing ended. The decision to keep Osman Kavala behind bars isn’t based on any legal basis.
“The most surprising thing is not that the allegations are not based on any evidence, but that they are implausible, based on conspiracy theories,” Kavala criticized in a statement transmitted by his lawyers during the hearing. “Extending my detention on such a fragile basis is an out-of-court decision,” she added. In December 2019, the Europorm coalition govt
