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.Image used for representational purposes onlyThe European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday criticised Turkiye's courts over the imprisonment of prominent philanthropist Osman Kavala, saying his case showed a wider problem in the country's judicial system. Repeating its 2019 call for his release, the court said his conviction should be treated as "null and void" and that several of his fundamental rights had been violated.The France-based court said the case pointed to a "systemic problem" that was "marked by the detention and prosecution of political opponents, human-rights defenders and journalists". It added that the violations exposed structural shortcomings affecting the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, especially in politically sensitive cases.Kavala, 68, founded a non-profit organisation that promotes peace and dialogue. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2022 on charges linked to the 2013 protests and the 2016 coup attempt in Turkiye.Human rights advocates and opposition groups have said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has used the judiciary against critics and rivals after more than two decades in power. The Turkish government, however, has maintained that the justice system is impartial and independent. In its statement, the European court said the violations "also revealed structural shortcomings which affected the guarantees of independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and which were likely to facilitate the exerting of direct or indirect influence by the executive branch on certain judicial decisions, particularly in cases with a sensitive political dimension".Erdogan has dismissed the court's earlier rulings, saying Turkiye would not "recognise those who do not recognize our courts". Kavala was first detained in 2017 on accusations that he financed the protests in 2013, which authorities said were aimed at overthrowing the government. He was acquitted in 2020, but was quickly rearrested on charges linking him to Turkiye's 2016 coup attempt.His acquittal was later overturned, and the case was merged with the one relating to the coup attempt. He was then sentenced to life in prison without parole in April 2022.The case had also triggered a diplomatic crisis in 2021, when Erdogan threatened to declare 10 foreign ambassadors, including the US, French and German envoys in Ankara, persona non grata after they called for Kavala's release. The latest ruling again underlines the court's criticism of Kavala's imprisonment and its call for his release.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 25, 2026 16:18 IST