Statement by Osman Kavala

27 August 2026

The ECtHR Grand Chamber judgment concerning my case encompasses a review of the proceedings that led to my conviction. As with the two previous ECtHR judgments, this judgment also emphasized that the right to liberty cannot be restricted without convincing and concrete evidence demonstrating that a crime has been committed. The acquittal decision delivered in 2020 in the first Gezi trial had likewise established that there was no evidence that I had committed a crime.

With its latest judgment, the ECtHR stated that it is unacceptable for courts to deliver convictions based on general assessments of events and reasoning that involves inferring intent regarding the purpose of certain activities.

It is a fundamental principle of human rights that the right to liberty of individuals, who have not engaged in conduct defined by law as a criminal offense, cannot be restricted. Protecting this right and ensuring that this principle is strictly adhered to by public authorities are obligations of a state governed by the rule of law towards its citizens.

Compliance with ECtHR judgments is, above all, a matter of fulfilling this obligation and is necessary for that reason.

Osman Kavala, 27 August 2026