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Europe rights watchdog moves against Turkey over jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala

A European human rights watchdog told Turkey on Friday it was preparing “infringement proceedings” over its failure to release imprisoned philanthropist Osman Kavala, a move that could lead to Ankara’s suspension from the body.

The Council of Europe’s warning, issued in line with a 2019 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), prompted Turkey to accuse the Strasbourg-based body of meddling in the workings of its independent courts.

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Last week a Turkish court ruled to keep Kavala in prison, extending his four-year detention without conviction in a trial which has added to strains in Ankara’s troubled relations with its Western allies.

“By failing to ensure the applicant’s immediate release, the Committee (of Ministers) considers that Turkey is refusing to abide by the Court’s (ECHR’s) final judgment in this case,” the Council of Europe statement said.

The Council asked Ankara to submit its view on the case by Jan 19, 2022 and the issue will be referred to the ECHR at its subsequent meeting on Feb. 2, it said.

Ruling

The ECHR ruled in 2019 that Kavala’s detention was political and called for his immediate release over a lack of reasonable suspicion that he committed an offence and ruling his detention served to silence him. Turkey has not complied with the ruling.

The Council’s Committee of Ministers, which oversees implementation of ECHR decisions, has repeatedly called on Turkey to release Kavala in line with the ruling.

Turkey’s foreign ministry criticized the Committee’s move.

“(We) invite the CoE to refrain from continuing with this decision that will have the quality of interfering with the independent judiciary,” it said.

Kavala’s trial has been criticized as politically motivated and symbolic of a crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan. The government rejects this and says Turkey’s courts are independent.

Last month Erdogan threatened to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United States, Germany and France, after they echoed the ECHR ruling that Kavala should be freed.

Kavala was acquitted last year of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned this year and combined with charges in another case related to a coup attempt in 2016. He has denied any wrongdoing.

If the court finds a violation, the Committee of Ministers can begin considering which measures should be taken. Turkey’s membership or voting rights at the CoE could be suspended at the end of the proceedings.

The CoE also urged Turkey to ensure the immediate release of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, ex-leader of Turkey’s third largest parliamentary party, who has been jailed pending trial since November 2016 on terrorism-related charges.

The Council of Europe, established after World War Two, has limited powers. Its Committee of Ministers is composed of the foreign ministers of the organization’s 47 member states.

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Voting starts in Turkey’s presidential election runoff


Voting starts in Turkey’s presidential election runoff, Reuters reports.
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‘Dream come true:’ Fans react to WWE Night of Champions wrestling event in Jeddah


Fans in Saudi Arabia were treated to an extravaganza of acrobatic combat and shocking storylines when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) held its Night of Champions event at Jeddah’s Superdome on Saturday night.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The evening was full of action as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn beat Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa to retain their tag team titles, with Zayn winning over scores of new local fans as he walked into the ring wearing a traditional Saudi thobe and introduced himself in Arabic.

Earlier in the show, Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles to win the world heavyweight championship, and there were also appearances by WWE veterans Brock Lesnar and Triple H.

Al Arabiya English caught up with some of the fans at Jeddah Superdome after the event.

Danya Hamdi has been watching WWE since the age of 8. At 21, she finally had the chance to attend her first live event.

“It was amazing, to be honest,” she said. “It was the first time I came to a WWE event and it was fabulous… It was amazing, like achieving my dream.”

Hamdi, who lives in Jeddah, attended the event with her sister Reef and their mother.

Although she was not a fan of the professional wrestling league before Saturday night, Hamdi says that Sami Zayn’s donning of the thobe was enough to win over her mother.

“I was mind blown by his Arabic. I think my mom really liked it, and she doesn’t like WWE… she became a fan.”

32-year-old Basem Degnah first saw the WWE in the flesh at the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah.

Since then, he’s attended events in both the US and Saudi Arabia. But Saturday’s Night of Champions was a “historic day” to him.

“I think it’s one of those events that’s once in a lifetime.”

The Jeddah local who has been a fan of the WWE for more than 20 years said that his favorite match of the night was the opening championship fight between Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.

“I would never, ever imagine, if you asked me back in the 90s, that we would see these incredible superstars performing in front of us.”

“This is really, honestly, a dream come true to a lot of Saudi fans.”

Indian nationals Harpreet Singh, 30, and Parmaat Singh, 36, became fast friends when they spotted each other’s Sikh turbans in the crowd at the event.

Harpreet previously attended the Elimination Chamber event in February 2022, and plans to catch future shows when the WWE returns to Jeddah.

Both men said that the highlight of the evening was seeing longtime WWE superstar Brock Lesnar fight again, defeating Cody Rhodes.

Ali Ahmed, 25 and also from Jeddah, was so enthralled by the last match between Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens, that he almost lost his voice from cheering.

“It was like a dream. I didn’t believe it until I saw it in action,” he said.

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Over 1,500 climate activists detained in Netherlands


More than 1,500 people were arrested during a protest by the Extinction Rebellion climate group in The Hague on Saturday, Dutch police said.

Activists blocked a section of a motorway in the centre of city during the afternoon, in protest against Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.

Police said they had used water cannon to disperse activists blocking a major road in the city, and arrested “a total of 1,579 people… 40 of whom will be prosecuted” on charges including vandalism.

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One of the activists bit a policeman during his arrest, police said.

Several Dutch celebrities were among the protesters, including Carice van Houten, best known for her role as Melisandre in the hit TV series “Game of Thrones.”

The Dutch news agency ANP reported that she was arrested but later allowed to return home.

It did not specify if she was among those who would be prosecuted.

The protests marks the seventh organized by Extinction Rebellion in this area of The Hague, but the highest number of people arrested so far, according to ANP.

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