03/12/2021 (Agence Europe) – At its last meeting to monitor the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Committee of Ministers (CM) of the Council of Europe adopted several decisions concerning Turkey. The Council informed the country of its decision to refer to the ECHR the case of businessman and human rights activist Osman Kavala, imprisoned since 2017, whose immediate release the ECHR is calling for. This decision of the CM will be effective on 2 February. It is the first step in a long procedure that can lead to sanctions. Turkey has until 19 January to submit its viewpoint. In an Interim Resolution, the CM also calls for the immediate release of former pro-Kurdish MP Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been imprisoned since 2016, as well as legislative changes to guarantee the independence of the judiciary in Turkey. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)