The EU called again, in the evening of Monday 11 July, for the release of the Turkish human rights defender Osman Kavala after the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) earlier today confirmed Turkey’s failure to comply with the Chamber’s judgment in the Kavala case (see EUROPE 12990/26).
“The Grand Chamber has reconfirmed that Mr. Kavala’s detention has been politically motivated and an attempt to silence him and dissuade other human rights defenders. His recent unjust conviction is inconsistent with respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the Rule of law”, the spokesperson underlined in a statement. Mr Kavala was sentenced at the end of April to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (see EUROPE 12939/27).
The spokesperson therefore called on Ankara to implement the pending judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, in particular the one calling for the immediate release of Mr Kavala. The spokesperson recalled that, as a long-standing member of the Council of Europe, Turkey urgently needs to make concrete and sustained progress in the respect of fundamental rights. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)