Council of Europe threatens disciplinary measures against Turkey for failure to implement European Court of Human Rights ruling

STRASBOURG — The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of judgments issued by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), threatened, for the first time, to initiate disciplinary measures against Turkey due to its failure to implement the order of the Court to release civil society activist Osman Kavala who has been in prison since November 2017.

The Committee explained that the continued arbitrary detention of Kavala constitutes a flagrant violation of Turkey’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

It also called for activating procedures to suspend Turkey’s voting rights and membership in the council, which Turkey joined in 1950.

Last May, a court closely linked with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended Kavala’s detention despite there being a lack of evidence against him or charges filed.