Turkish court sentences rights activist to life in prison

A Turkish Court on Monday sentenced prominent Turkish civil rights activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala to life in prison without parole, finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government in connection with the 2013 mass anti-government protests.

The court in Istanbul also sentenced seven other defendants to 18 years in prison each.

The verdict comes as Europe's top human rights body, the Council of Europe, launched infringement procedures against Turkey for refusing to abide by a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which called for Kavala's release in 2019 on grounds that his rights had been violated.