Nacho Sánchez Amor, the Turkey Rapporteur for the European Parliament (EP), visited Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned for 2,228 days and sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in the Gezi trial, at Silivri's Marmara Prison. Sánchez Amor, the first EP member granted permission to meet Kavala, expressed his gratitude to the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs after the meeting.
Sánchez Amor also urged Turkey to fully implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions regarding Osman Kavala, stating, "I call on the country to adhere to its international obligations as the smoothest way to regain the full potential of our connections." He remarked on his first meeting with Osman Kavala, describing him as "such a remarkable individual."
Osman Kavala marks six years behind bars
In a written statement regarding the visit, he noted:
"The Turkish Government's decision to permit this visit is a significant step in the right direction. I would like to thank the Turkish Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs for facilitating this. Hopefully, this openness signals the beginning of a new era in EU-Turkey relations within the context of the recent Joint Communication of the Commission and the High Representative Vice-President, and further steps will be taken to address the rule of law and the situation of fundamental rights in the country.
"Meeting Osman Kavala personally was profoundly touching for me. Despite clear decisions from the European Court of Human Rights and numerous calls from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, he has been held in prison for over six years without any legal justification. I conveyed to him the solidarity of the European Parliament and our determination to continue calling for his release.
"Once again, I call on the Turkish authorities to fully implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on Osman Kavala and other related cases and to adhere to the country's international obligations as the best way to regain the full potential of our relations."
Previously, on January 13, 2023, Turkey Monitoring Rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), British parliamentarian John Howell and Latvian parliamentarian Boriss Cilevics, had also visited Kavala. In their subsequent written statement, they had emphasized, "Our opportunity to meet with Mr. Kavala, who has been held in prison since 2017 despite two ECHR decisions, is a significant step forward in the dialogue between the Council of Europe and the Turkish authorities." (HA/VK)
