A Turkish court sentences activist Osman Kavala to life in prison
The European Court of Human Rights long ago ordered that he be released
OVER THE course of the war in Ukraine, Turkey’s government has earned some goodwill in the West by publicly opposing Russia’s invasion and by providing Ukraine with armed drones. On April 25th a lot of that goodwill went up in smoke, when a court in Istanbul handed Osman Kavala, one of Turkey's most respected civil-society activists, a life sentence for “attempting to overthrow” the country’s government during protests almost a decade ago. Seven other defendants, accused of aiding Mr Kavala, were sentenced to 18 years each.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline ““Judicial assassination””
Europe April 30th 2022
- France’s re-elected president prepares for a tough second term
- The West pushes for “victory” against Russia in Ukraine
- Ukrainian refugees need mental-health care that their hosts lack
- A Turkish court sentences activist Osman Kavala to life in prison
- Why Gerhard Schröder won’t unfriend Vladimir Putin
- Emmanuel Macron is now Europe’s standard-bearer
From the April 30th 2022 edition
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