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Minister of State Roth on the Osman Kavala case
Minister of State Roth issued the following statement today (4 June) on the enforcement of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights against the backdrop of Germany’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe:
The ongoing detention of Osman Kavala, despite the fact that the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights of 10 December 2019 recently came into force, is a clear violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. I urge Turkey to respect its international obligations and to implement the ECHR’s judgement swiftly. Germany will continue to closely monitor the case of Osman Kavala during its forthcoming Presidency of the Council of Europe. Turkey must, at long last, ensure compliance with the rule of law and human rights standards once again. We will do our utmost to ensure that all Member States respect and enforce the ECHR’s judgements to the letter.
Background Information:
Osman Kavala, director of the Turkish cultural foundation, Anadolu Kültür, has been in prison since 18 October 2017. On 10 December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights determined that Osman Kavala’s prolonged pre-trial detention was in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. It classified his pre-trial detention as politically motivated and called for Kavala’s immediate release. This decision came into force on 11 May 2020 because Turkey’s request to refer the matter to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights once again was rejected. Osman Kavala was acquitted by an Istanbul court on 18 February 2020, but was immediately re-arrested on other charges.
Germany will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from November 2020 to May 2021. Our Permanent Representative in Strasbourg is already chairing the Committee that monitors the enforcement of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights. All 47 Member States have undertaken to comply with the Court’s rulings in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights.