A Turkish court sentenced businessman Osman Kavala to life in prison on Monday by finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government by financing 2013 nationwide riots.
The court also sentenced several others to 18 years in jail for aiding an attempt to overthrow the government. The court said it decided to acquit Kavala of espionage charge due to lack of evidence.
The trial of 17 defendants including Turkish businessman Osman Kavala and nine fugitives over allegations regarding the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey and the 2013 Gezi Park riots came to a close Monday.
The Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court decided to hand Kavala an aggravated life sentence for "attempting to abolish the Government of the Republic of Turkey or to partially or completely prevent it from performing its duties" in accordance with Article 312/1 of the Turkish Penal Law.
The court sentenced seven defendants -- including Mucella Yapıcı, a master architect at the Istanbul branch of the Chamber of Architects of Turkey -- to 18 years in prison and issued an arrest warrant for them.
The court ruled that the files of the nine fugitive defendants, including former CIA adviser Henri Barkey, former journalist Can Dündar and Turkish actor Mehmet Ali Alabora, be separated.
Kavala faced charges regarding the Gezi Park riots-a small number of environment-related demonstrations that began on May 28, 2013 in Istanbul that later transformed into nationwide riots that left eight protesters and one police officer dead.
He was acquitted of all charges in February 2020, but an appeals court overturned that acquittal in January 2021.
He was also accused of involvement in the 2016 defeated coup in Turkiye orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and was remanded into custody on spying charges in March 2020.
