ECHR sets hearing date for Osman Kavala’s second application

WISE NEWS PRESS / LONDON, UK — DECEMBER 23, 2025

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced that the Grand Chamber hearing regarding the second application of businessman Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned for eight years, will be held on March 25, 2026.

The ECHR referred Kavala’s application, which concerns his continued detention and aggravated life sentence, to the Grand Chamber on December 16. The Grand Chamber, responsible for cases involving serious questions regarding the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, has invited all parties to submit their written observations by January 26.

Procedural timeline and second application

According to the court's announcement, Turkey or third-party intervenors must submit authorization requests by January 29 to participate in the hearing. If granted, written views must be filed by February 12. The current application, filed on January 18, 2024, focuses on the continuation of Kavala’s detention despite a previous ECHR ruling and the judicial process that resulted in an aggravated life sentence.

In its initial 2019 ruling, the ECHR stated that Kavala’s arrest aimed to silence him and discourage other human rights defenders. Despite multiple calls for his immediate release, Turkish authorities have maintained his detention, leading the Council of Europe to launch an "infringement procedure" against Turkey in 2021.

Background of the Kavala case

Osman Kavala was first detained on October 18, 2017, and subsequently arrested on charges related to organizing the Gezi Park protests and the July 15 coup attempt. Although ECHR rulings are legally binding for Turkey as a member of the Council of Europe, Kavala remained in prison throughout the appeals process.

In April 2022, Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the government" within the scope of the Gezi Park trial. This sentence was upheld by Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals in September 2023, solidifying the legal deadlock between Ankara and Strasbourg.

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