Court rules Kavala stay in jail in Gezi Park trial

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on Jan. 28 ruled that Osman Kavala, a businessman and philanthropist, to remain in custody in Gezi Park trial.

The next hearing will take place on Feb. 18 in Istanbul.

Kavala, who funded civil society projects across the country, was detained in 2017 on charges of seeking to overthrow the government.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has sent an indictment to the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court on March 4, recommending aggravated life term for all the defendants including Kavala.

Kavala denied the accusations.

On Dec. 10, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights urged Turkey to release Kavala, ruling his rights had been violated by more than two years in detention and rubbishing the charges against him.

In summer of 2013, demonstrations in Istanbul's Gezi Park grew into a nationwide wave of protests against the government that left eight protesters and a police officer dead.