Court says Turkish judiciary has a 'systematic problem' in ruling on philanthropist

The European Court of Human Rights has criticized Turkey's courts over the imprisonment of philanthropist Osman KavalaISTANBUL -- The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday criticized Turkey's courts over the imprisonment of prominent philanthropist Osman Kavala, saying it highlighted a “systemic problem” that was “marked by the detention and prosecution of political opponents, human-rights defenders and journalists.”Kavala, 68, the founder of a nonprofit organization promoting peace and dialogue, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2022 on charges linked to 2013 protests and a coup attempt in 2016. Human rights advocates and opposition groups say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government has weaponized the judiciary to target critics and rivals after more than two decades in power.Reiterating a call for Kavala’s release it first made in 2019, the European court said his conviction should be regarded as “as null and void.” In a statement, the court said Turkey had violated several of Kavala’s fundamental rights.The violations “also revealed structural shortcomings which affected the guarantees of independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and which were lik...