12/30/2017
Osman Kavala was taken into custody on October 18, 2017 and detained November 1, with accusations as “an attempt to abolish the constitutional order of the Republic of Turkey, an attempt to prevent or lifting the tasks of the state, being the organizer of Gezi Resistance which all terrorist organizations (FETO/PDY – PKK / KCK – DHKP/C, MLKP) actively participated and supported”. Osman Kavala is kept in isolation conditions in Silivri Prison for 60 days. Osman Kavala was clearly targeted by the media which has close tights with government before his arrest, and this demonstration continued increasingly during his custody.
Osman Kavala has participated in the establishment of the İletişim Publications in 1983 in order to provide democratization and civilianization of the country through publishing in the repressive environment after 12 September coup. In the following years, he has provided great support to the recognition of cultural diversity, cultural arts dialogue and cultural co-operation and has actively worked in Civil Society organizations. Osman Kavala has established an effective relationship between Turkey’s civil society and the outside world.
The increased number of lawyers and journalists who have been arrested and imprisoned for the past few years day by day; the cases opened with the accusation of membership of a terrorist organization about academicians for peace, the arrest of the rights defenders of Büyükada; the closure of many associations and publications with the statutory decrees is now putting under severe pressure of anyone who works in the field of civil society or rights advocacy or who thinks differently from the government. Everyone will need a day of law and justice, and no matter who needs it, human rights defenders like Osman Kavala will stand up with them as they did it in the past. Those who keep these pigeon uneasiness to the rights defenders, must immediately put an end to the hostage taking policies.
On the 60th day of his detention, we demand that the pressure on human rights defenders and civil society be brought to an end as soon as possible and that Osman Kavala should be released as a step in this. In this way, we celebrate the new year of Osman Kavala and all the rights defenders, wishing that the year 2018 will bring freedom to all of us.
HRAA Board of Directors