The question whether Turkey has failed to abide by the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will be considered by the top European court’s Grand Chamber, as the next step in the infringement proceedings against the country. The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Turkey and other parties involved in the case will be able to submit written comments until April 19, the court announced in a press release on Wednesday. The Grand Chamber will assess whether Turkey failed to abide by the ECHR’s 2019 ruling for the immediate release of Osman Kavala, Turkish philanthropist who has been behind bars since Oct. 2017 on charges of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government. The ECHR has stated in several rulings that the charges against Kavala have been politically motivated and lacking in evidence. “The authorities had been unable to demonstrate that the applicant’s initial and continued pre-trial detention had been justified by reasonable suspicions based on an objective assessment of the acts attributed to him,” the court said. If the Grand Chamber finds a violation, the case will be referred back to the Committee of Ministers, which will decide on what measures to take. The procedure could result in Turkey’s expulsion from the CoE, of which it was a founding member.
Ahval