Turkish court gives philanthropist Kavala life in prison

By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish court has sentenced prominent Turkish civil rights activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala to life in prison without parole. The verdict is likely to harm Turkey’s ties with Western nations. The court on Monday found Kavala guilty of attempting to overthrow the government in connection with the 2013 anti-government protests. The court in Istanbul also sentenced seven other defendants to 18 years in prison each. Turkey has refused to abide by a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which called for Kavala’s release in 2019. Critics say Kavala’s case was politically motivated. Germany’s foreign minister called on Turkey to release Kavala in line with the European court’s decision.