Hundreds of people gathered on the streets of major Turkish cities tonight, including in Istanbul, chanting “Resistance everywhere!” On the eve of the sentencing of Osman Kavala to life in prison.
In addition to Istanbul, where protesters gathered near Taksim Square, crowds demonstrated in a peaceful atmosphere in Ankara and Izmir, three cities whose municipal authorities belong to the opposition, the French News Agency reported.
“Taxim everywhere! Resistance everywhere!”, Shouted the protesters, as well as the slogan “This is just the beginning, the struggle continues!”.
The police did not intervene, despite the strong presence of its forces.
An important civil society figure, businessman and philanthropist, who was held for 4.5 years, Osman Kavala, 64, still denies the accusations against him: He was accused by the authorities of financing the huge protest movement of 2013 in Gezi Park.
A “black sheep” of the regime, Kavala denounced in court a “judicial assassination” against his person and the influence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his trial.
His lawyers demanded his acquittal for lack of evidence, but Kavala was sentenced to life without the possibility of reducing his sentence.
“The verdict in this trial is a punishment against democracy. It ignores the rule of law,” said Akif Burak Atlar, a spokesman for the Taksim Solidarity protest platform in Istanbul.
The United States, Germany, European officials and France have all condemned the killings, calling for Kavala to be released immediately.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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