Osman Kavala has been in prison for 2,905 days

Civil society and human rights activist Osman Kavala has been in prison for 2,905 days as of October 14, 2025.

Kavala, whom President Tayyip Erdoğan targeted as "Turkey's Soros" since the Gezi protests, was detained in Gaziantep on October 18, 2017, and taken to Istanbul.

The reason for the detention was not initially known. It was reported that the investigation was being conducted in secret.

Kavala was arrested on November 1st and sent to Silivri Prison. Two reasons were given for his arrest: "attempting to overthrow the government" in the context of the Gezi Park protests and "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order" in the context of the July 15 coup attempt.

During the indictment process, the file was divided into two.

The indictment regarding the Gezi protests was prepared on February 19, 2019.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on December 10, 2019, for Kavala's immediate release.

Kavala appeared in custody for the sixth hearing of the trial on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government" on February 18, 2020. At the hearing, Kavala, along with eight other defendants , was acquitted and released.

However, immediately afterward, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced a detention warrant for Kavala in the case, which is being investigated for "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order" in the context of the coup attempt. The businessman, who was expected to be released, was taken into custody. However, a release order had already been issued for Kavala in October 2019 in connection with this investigation. Despite this, Kavala was arrested again on February 19, 2020. On March 9, 2020, Kavala was arrested again in the same case, this time on charges of "political or military espionage."

Kavala appealed to the Constitutional Court (AYM) on May 4, 2020, claiming his rights had been violated. The 15-member court rejected the appeal by eight votes to seven on December 29, 2020.

On January 25, 2021, the Council of Europe, to which the ECHR is affiliated, reminded Turkey that "Kavala's release is not a request, but a requirement of binding law."

On February 5, the second hearing of Kavala's trial, in which he is accused of "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order" and "political and military espionage," took place at the Istanbul 36th High Criminal Court. Kavala stated that failure to release him would lead to a more serious violation of his rights. The court ordered his continued detention.

The Constitutional Court's reasoned decision was announced on March 23. President Zühtü Arslan was among the seven members who cast dissenting votes and withdrew their objections .

In the third trial regarding the Gezi Park protests on May 21, a majority vote was taken to continue Kavala's detention. The presiding judge announced that he had added a caveat to the decision.

On October 8, 16 human rights defenders, including Kavala, and 35 members of the Beşiktaş football team's supporter group Çarşı appeared before a judge for the first time. At the end of the hearing, the court ruled by majority vote that Kavala's detention should continue.

On December 3, 2021, the Council of Europe recalled its decision on the sanctions procedure against Turkey, which did not release Kavala despite the ECHR's violation decision, and gave it a deadline of January 19, 2022 to submit its opinion.

Kavala was not released again at the hearing on January 17.

Turkey sent the following response to the ECHR: “Kavala’s trial is ongoing in a different case, not the one in which the ECHR decision was taken.”

Following this, the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe's political body, put the second phase of the "violation procedure" it had initiated against Turkey in early December for Kavala's failure to be released despite the ECHR ruling to a vote at its meeting on February 2. The interim decision to refer the case to the ECHR was approved by majority vote.

Erdoğan criticized this decision on February 3rd, saying, "What the ECHR said or the Council of Europe said on this matter doesn't really concern us. We expect our own courts to be respected. And those who don't show this respect, I apologize; we won't respect them."

The fifth hearing of the Gezi/ÇArşı trial, in which Kavala has been detained for 1,574 days, was held on February 21. The court ruled that Kavala's detention should continue and that his files should be separated.

On February 23, the ECHR gave the parties until April 19 to submit their views in order to discuss the violation process against Turkey.

Kavala appeared before the judge again on March 21. The court ruled that he remain in custody.

No decision was made at the hearing on April 22, where the verdict was expected to be announced.

The Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court sentenced Kavala to aggravated life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the government" at its final hearing on April 25. One judge on the court panel voted against the decision.

At the hearing, 18-year prison sentences and arrest warrants were given to Mücella Yapıcı, Çiğdem Mater, Hakan Altınay, Mine Özerden, Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi.

The Istanbul Regional Court of Justice, which evaluated the appeal on December 28, 2022, found the sentences of Kavala and the other defendants to be "in accordance with the law."

On September 28, 2023, the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the aggravated life sentence for Osman Kavala and the 18-year prison sentence for Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Mine Özerden, and Çiğdem Mater Utku. The 18-year prison sentences given to Ali Hakan Altınay, Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, and Ayşe Mücella Yapıcı were overturned.

On April 30, 2024, Kavala requested a retrial.

On May 14, the panel of the 13th High Criminal Court, which heard the case, was changed 'in accordance with the law' .

On May 15, the court unanimously rejected the request for a retrial.