13.10.2026 19:41
Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court rejected the retrial application made by Osman Kavala, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in the Gezi Park case, based on the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights' ruling finding a rights violation.
Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court rejected the retrial and release request of Osman Kavala, who received an aggravated life sentence in the Gezi Park case.
REJECTION OF THE ECtHR'S KAVALA RULING
Kavala's lawyers filed an application based on the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling that found a rights violation. However, the court ruled that the ECtHR decision would not directly overturn the existing judgment, and decided to continue the execution of the sentence.
The ECtHR Grand Chamber had previously ruled that Kavala had been detained without reasonable suspicion and should be released. Kavala's lawyers are expected to appeal this rejection decision to a higher court.
SENTENCED TO AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT
As a result of the ongoing trial in Turkey, Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on April 25, 2022, for "attempting to eliminate the government" in connection with the Gezi Park protests, and the decision was upheld by the Court of Cassation in 2023 and became final.