EU Committee calls on Turkey to release Demirtas and Kavala

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) –  The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has called on Turkey to release Kurdish opposition politician Selahattin Demirtas and jailed human rights defender Osman Kavala.

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers met on September 14-16 and discussed Turkey’s failure to release the two defendants,

Both Kavala and Demirtas remain jailed despite European Court of Human Rights rulings calling for their immediate release.

Last week, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and the Turkey Litigation Support Project in a joint statement said the European Committee should trigger infringement proceedings against Turkey.

The European Committee only said they will continue to examine both cases.

Read More: NGOs urge EU Committee to pressure Turkey to release Demirtas and Kavala

The body said that they “decided to resume the examination of the (Demirtas) case at their 1419th meeting (30 November- 2 December 2021) (DH) and instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft interim resolution for consideration by the Committee at that meeting in the event that the applicant has still not been released by then.”

Regarding Kavala’s case, the Council expressed “their resolve to serve formal notice on Turkey of their intention to commence these proceedings in accordance with Article 46 § 4 of the Convention at their 1419th meeting (30 November – 2 December 2021) (DH), in the event that the applicant is not released before then.”