Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court unanimously rejected the “retrial” request of Osman Kavala, who was arrested in the Gezi Park case. Osman Kavala had requested a retrial in accordance with the European Court of Human Rights ruling. However, the court rejected this request and maintained the validity of the existing judgment.
Osman Kavala had stated through his lawyers that the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights are directly related to the right of every citizen, not just the applicants, to demand justice. However, the unanimous decision of the court showed that Kavala’s request for a retrial was not accepted.
The Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court’s previous decisions on Osman Kavala were as follows: Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey” in accordance with Article 312/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. Other defendants were also sentenced to prison terms on different charges.
Osman Kavala, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in the Gezi trial and upheld by the Court of Cassation, had emphasized that he acted with a demand for justice. However, the court rejected Kavala’s request and confirmed the previous verdict.
