Statement from Osman Kavala on the 9th anniversary of his detention: 'I thought this was a mistake'

Businessman Osman Kavala, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment within the scope of the Gezi case and has been in prison since November 1, 2017, made a written statement on the ninth anniversary of his arrest.

Kavala, who started his statement dated November 1, 2026 with the words "The ninth year of my residence in Silivri has been completed", stated that he thought that what happened when he was first arrested would be corrected in a short time, but this did not happen.

Kavala evaluated the trial process in the Gezi case, the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the impact of the years he spent in prison on his life.

“WHEN I WAS FIRST ARRESTED, I THOUGHT IT WAS A MISTAKE”

Kavala, who stated that he would be released in a short time when he was first arrested, used the following statements:

"My ninth year of residence in Silivri has been completed. When I was first arrested, I thought it was a mistake and that it would be corrected in a short time. I was wrong."

Reminding that he was initially acquitted in the Gezi case, Kavala said that he continued to be held in prison on charges of espionage.

Kavala stated that he and the other defendants were given heavy penalties after the acquittal decisions were overturned, and argued that the accusations against him were not based on concrete evidence.

“INSANE CLAIMS WERE MADE.”

Criticizing the accusations against him, Kavala reminded the allegations that he led the Taksim Solidarity Platform into an uprising against the government and met the needs of the demonstrators.

Kavala used the following statements in his statement:

"Incredible allegations were put forward to compensate for the lack of evidence in the accusation against me. It was claimed that I directed the Taksim Solidarity Platform, formed by more than twenty political parties and political organizations, nearly a hundred unions, professional chambers and associations, to take action, and that I met all the needs of the demonstrators who attempted to overthrow the government."

ATTENTION DRAWED TO THE ECHR DECISION

Referring to the latest decision of the ECHR, Kavala stated that the court considers the actions that lead to the restriction of freedom as a clear denial of justice.

Stating that this evaluation has not only legal but also ethical dimensions, Kavala continued as follows:

"This determination means that not only legal rules but also ethical principles are not respected. One result of this is that human life is deemed worthless."

“I SPENT A SIGNIFICANT PART OF IT IN PRISON”

Reminding that he was 60 years old when he entered prison, Kavala emphasized that the nine-year period took a significant amount of time from his life.

Kavala completed his statement with the following words:

"I was 60 years old when I went to prison. After this age, I spent almost all of the time that I could have worked actively in the field of civil society and a significant part of the years that I could have lived a healthy life in prison. However, despite all the troubles we are experiencing, I believe that I will be able to see the developments towards the establishment of the rule of law in my country. As I hope, if lessons can be learned from the Gezi case and the injustice I was exposed to, this will be a source of consolation for me."