On 25 August 2026, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights handed down judgment in the case of Kavala v. Türkiye (no. 2).
The case concerned an application brought by human rights defender Osman Kavala, who has been deprived of his liberty since 2017 notwithstanding the Court’s 2019 judgment in Kavala v. Türkiye and its subsequent 2022 judgment concerning Turkey’s failure to comply with that ruling.
In its latest judgment, the Court found multiple violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It held that Turkey is required to secure Mr Kavala’s release at the earliest possible date and to eliminate the consequences of the measures taken against him. The Court further held that his criminal conviction must be regarded as null and void under Convention law.
Prof. Philip Leach acted for Osman Kavala with Prof. Başak Çalı, Deniz Tolga Aytöre, and Ebru Demiralp Bekir.
Read the full judgment here.