Osman Kavala remains imprisoned after more than 3,250 days

Human rights and civil society activist Osman Kavala has remained in prison for over 3,250 days as of October 2026. Originally detained in Gaziantep on October 18, 2017, Kavala was transferred to Istanbul and subsequently sent to Silivri Prison.

Kavala faces charges related to the Gezi Park protests and the July 15 coup attempt, including allegations of attempting to overthrow the government and the constitutional order. Despite an acquittal and release order in February 2020, he was immediately re-arrested under separate investigations involving political or military espionage.

The legal proceedings have drawn significant international attention. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in December 2019 for his immediate release, a decision the Council of Europe later emphasized as a binding legal obligation for Turkey. Domestically, an appeal to the Turkish Constitutional Court (AYM) regarding rights violations was rejected in December 2020.