We may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Kavala is accused of attempting to hold a coup in Turkey in connection with the Gezi protests and political and military espionage in connection with the attempted coup in 2016. Last week a Turkish court ruled to keep Kavala in prison, extending his four-year detention without a conviction in a trial that has added to the strains in Ankara's troubled relations with its Western allies. The Council of Europe statement said that Turkey is refusing to abide by the ECHR's final judgment in this case because of failing to ensure the applicant's immediate release. The issue will be referred to the ECHR at its next meeting on February 2, as the Council asked Ankara to submit its view by January 19, 2022.
In 2019 the European Court of Justice ruled that Kavala's detention was political and called for his immediate release over a lack of reasonable suspicion that he committed an offence and ordered his detention to silence him. Turkey has not complied with the ruling. The Committee of Ministers of the Council has called for the release of Kavala in line with the ruling, as well as by the Council's Committee of Ministers. It said that the CoE should not continue with this decision that will have the quality of interfering with the independent judiciary. READ MORE: Remainers dealt a blow as Rejoin EU lost deposit in Bexley by-election.
Kavala's trial has been criticised as politically motivated and symbolic of a crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan. The government rejects this and says Turkey's courts are independent. Last month, Erdogan threatened to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United States, Germany and France, after they echoed the ECHR ruling that Kavala should be freed. Kavala was acquitted last year of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013 but the ruling was overturned this year and added to charges related to a coup attempt in 2016. If the court finds a violation, the Committee of Ministers can begin considering what measures should be taken.