On Monday, Turkish activist Osman Kavala was sentenced in Istanbul to life in prison without the possibility of commutation after being found guilty of trying to overthrow the government.
Kavala has always denied the allegations. He has been detained for four and a half years in the Silivri prison near Istanbul.
Only Kavala was acquitted on charges of espionage. His lawyers have announced their intention to appeal the decision. The US State Department expressed “deep annoyance and disappointment” at Kavala’s “unfair” verdict. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that his country was “deeply concerned and disappointed by the court’s decision to convict Osman Kavala,” adding that “his unfair sentence is contrary to respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.”
