The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), which oversees the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), stressed that Turkey frequently fails to comply with rulings on the freedoms of expression and the press, in its latest annual report released on Thursday.
The report mentioned specifically Turkey’s non-compliance to the ECHR judgment in the case of businessman, rights defender and political prisoner Osman Kavala, which prompted the CoE to launch infringement proceedings against the country in February 2022 for its refusal to release Kavala. Due to Ankara’s refusal to comply with ECHR rulings, the country became the second-ever to have infringement procedures start against it at the CoE.
The court ruled in December 2019 that Kavala’s imprisonment since 2017 was “politically motivated” and that he must be released immediately. Turkey has refused to comply with the ruling and Kavala has since been sentenced to life in prison.
One of the most popular Kurdish politicians, former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, is also facing imprisonment due to politically motivated accusations, the ECHR had found in another case. Turkey has refused to release Demirtaş as well.
In November 2022, the court ruled that Turkey violated the rights of 12 other imprisoned HDP members, including Figen Yüksekdağ, who was co-chair together with Demirtaş.
If Turkey does not reverse course, the infringement proceedings may result in expulsion from the CoE. The only other country to ever face the proceedings was Azerbaijan over the unlawful imprisonment of opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov.