Statement by Jean Asselborn regarding the re-arrest of Osman Kavala in Turkey

The re-arrest of Osman Kavala is very worrying. The hostile environment in which the civil society and the human rights defenders operate in Turkey has reached an unprecedented level, as has the disregard of the most basic principles of law. The case against Osman Kavala is symptomatic of the situation of human rights defenders and all those peacefully exerting their right to freedom of expression – online and offline – and who are silenced by such procedures.

In its judgement of 10 December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights has not found evidence supporting the suspicion of implication with the attempted coup. Thus, without swift clarifications on possible new verifiable and tangible evidence against Mr. Kavala, Luxembourg calls on Turkey to stop the continuing violation of the European Convention on Human Rights – in particular its article 18 – and to respect the standards of the rule of law, which it committed to applying.

Luxembourg will also continue to closely monitor the trial of the "Büyükada 10" and Taner Kılıç and calls on Turkey to uphold and fully implement its international legal obligations, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights.

Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

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