Turkey Court Extends Detention of Top Activist

Date: 21 February 2022 - 22:12

News ID: ۱۰۰۲۴۰

ISTANBUL (AFP) – A Turkish court ordered activist Osman Kavala to remain in prison Monday, amid fresh calls for his release in the high-profile case. The 64-year-old philanthropist has been held without conviction since October 2017, accused of financing 2013 anti-government protests and playing a role in a coup plot against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A three-judge panel on Monday refused to release Kavala and set the next hearing for March 21. Kavala did not appear in court, and his lawyers questioned the tribunal’s impartiality. “Kavala is not being tried in this tribunal, but in political party meetings,” defense lawyer Tolga Aytore told the court.