Turkish businessman demands end to "unlawful" detentionDecember 24, 2019 - 14:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish businessman Osman Kavala on Tuesday, December 24 rejected charges of leading and funding mass government protests in 2013 and called for an end to his "unlawful" detention in his first appearance in court after Europe's top rights body urged Ankara to release him, AFP reports. Kavala, a leading figure in Turkey's civil society who funded projects across the country, has been in pre-trial detention since November 2017 on charges of seeking to overthrow the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A respected figure in intellectual circles, Kavala is chairman of the Anatolian Culture Foundation, which promotes human rights through art, including with neighbouring Armenia, with which Turkey has no diplomatic ties. Turkish prosecutors accuse him of being involved in anti-Erdogan protests in 2013 and the failed coup in 2016. His hearing and that of 15 other leading figures in civil society started in the vast court and prison complex in Silivri in the outskirts of Istanbul. Kavala, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark jacket and a white shirt, dismissed the charges as "completely groundless". "The 657-page indictment... proves I am innocent rather than guilty," he told the court. Two weeks ago, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) urged Turkey to "take every measure to put an end" to Kavala's detention and "to secure his immediate release". In a damning verdict, the ECHR said Kavala was being held "not only on acts that could not be reasonably considered as behaviour criminalised under domestic law" but which were also guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. "I demand this unlawful and discriminatory practice that placed me in prison for two years come to an end," Kavala told the court. Critics have denounced the charges as politically motivated and demonstrated how Turkey is cracking down on civil society. Erdogan has accused Kavala of being a Turkish agent of US financier George Soros. Diplomats from foreign consulates and observers attended the hearing in a show of solidarity. Photo. dpa Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |