Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without parole.
Kavala was convicted of trying to overthrow the Turkish government by financing protests.
The 64-year-old had been in jail for four-and-a-half years without a conviction and denied the charges he faced over the Gezi protests, which began as small demonstrations in an Istanbul park in 2013 and snowballed into nationwide anti-government unrest.
The court also sentenced seven others to 18 years in jail each for aiding an attempt to overthrow the government and ordered their arrests.
The court said it decided to acquit Kavala of espionage charges due to lack of evidence.
The courtroom was packed with more than 200 people, including opposition members, Western diplomats and rights activists, Reuters reported.
Supporters of the accused yelled at the judges as the ruling was read. Many of them cried as the seven defendants, including architect Mucella Yapici, 71, were taken into custody.
"This is just the beginning; the struggle continues," the crowd chanted.
Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2022/04/26/osman-kavala-turkish-philanthropist-jailed-for-life-without-parole/
Comments