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A Letter From Osman Kavala Upon Completion of his 9th Month in Prison

Last fall we published an open letter detailing the unjust imprisonment of Osman Kavala in Turkey. Kavala is an entrepreneur, cultural patron, and activist who was jailed for “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and the government.” After nine months in prison, Kavala has released an open letter reflecting on his time in confinement and the trumped-up charges against him. Read an excerpt from the letter below, or the full text here.

Untill now all my requests to be released have been turned down on the basis of the investigation file and without a court hearing. The court decisions have stated that the imputed offense – or the “charge thrown at me” in literally translated Turkish – necessitate my incarceration, and that the duration of detention is in proportion with the punishment for such a crime. I am struck by the expression “the charge thrown at someone”. Generally, it is a harmful thing that gets thrown at someone, throwing a slap in the face or throwing mud… Usually the verb to throw is also used to imply a quick and effortless act.

Image of Osman Kavala via openDemocracy.