Turkey urged to release rights defender after European court ruling

Turkey urged to release rights defender after European court ruling

Author: Wed, 2020-09-09 00:33

ANKARA: Turkey has been urged to release human rights defender Osman Kavala following a European court ruling that said his detention was unlawful.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project are among those campaigning for Kavala's freedom. He has been behind bars for more than 1,000 days. 

Rights groups are trying to keep his case on the agenda and prevent the targeting and persecution of activists, dissident politicians and critical journalists from becoming the norm in Turkey.

Kavala has been imprisoned since Nov. 2017 on various allegations and charges. The lawfulness of his detention has been brought to the attention of Turkey's Constitutional Court.

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers recently ordered Turkey, which has been a founding member of