TURKEY: GLOBAL CAMPAIGN MARKS OSMAN KAVALA’S 1,000TH DAY BEHIND BARS

Activists around the world will take part in an extraordinary array of creative campaigns to mark 1,000 days of imprisonment of human rights defender Osman Kavala, in Turkey.

The Free Osman Kavala campaign has organized a series of activities to draw international attention to the case. Osman Kavala has been in pre-trial detention in Silivri High Security Prison in Istanbul since his arrest on trumped-up charges on 1 November 2017. Amnesty International supports the campaign.

“Osman Kavala remains in prison despite the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights that emphatically concluded that he must be released immediately, finding his prosecution and imprisonment to be driven by an ulterior motive –silencing him and civil society. We will not stop until he walks free and this unbearable injustice ends,” said a spokesperson from the Free Osman Kavala Campaign.

Over the last 1,000 days Osman Kavala has been been held under three baseless charges. In February 2020 he was acquitted of one charge, only then to be accused of ‘espionage’ in March. This was a barely concealed attempt to circumvent a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that his detention was unlawful.

“We have been deeply moved by the outpouring of creativity in support of Osman Kavala across the global. People from all over the world are determined not to let this darkly symbolic day pass unnoticed,” said Milena Buyum, Amnesty International’s Turkey Campaigner.

“As well as petitions and campaigning actions, people have created animations and operas, artworks and films. These are not individual expressions of solidarity but part of a collective worldwide call on Turkey to end the relentless crackdown on dissenting voices, and to free Osman Kavala.”

Actions, events and outputs

As well as actions by Amnesty International members in more than 50 countries (in UK for example, 1000 pebbles will be laid out on Parliament Hill, overlooking London)

1,000 Days of injustice - Explainer

The booklet will be available on Free Osman Kavala website and in the press kit.

1,000 Days In Prison – Video & Graphics

#CrımeNotFound – Campaign materials y film

“It has been 1,000 days, the crime you have been looking for could not be found!” https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SAQy2Y9axT7utorpZgCyzvsOdFpnXSFy

1,000 Days – social media assets

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yePr2n7XSosRBK6m_4tivmO7PRpYA2wV

Human Rights Organizations – Video messages!

Representatives of numerous human rights and international organizations will be shared on Free Osman Kavala YouTube channel and social media accounts.

 How I Met Osman Kavala? – 18 Interviews (Turkish only)

World clound for Osman Kavala

Osman Kavala’s friends offer a word which best describes him. They build a Word Cloud shaped silhouette of Kavala

Osman Bey and the Snails – a Lockdown Opera

This lock-down opera film was produced by friends of Osman Kavala based in several countries over several weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown and launched on 21 June.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjV-9eMr8oE