Kavala officially stays by the side of Osman Kavala

The Municipal Council of Kavala is preparing to take initiatives in the context of the effort to free the well-known activist and honorary citizen of Kavala from the vise of the judiciary in Turkey

The Mayor of Kavala, Theodoros Mouriadis, in the presence of the Deputy Regional Development Director AM-TH, Kostis Simitsis, the president of IKKIK, Giannis Vyzikas, the vice president of the Institute, Michalis Sachsamanoglou and the professors of the University of Thessaly Michalis Zoumboulakis and Costas Lalenis on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, from the hall of the Municipal Council, in order to report for the abusive detention of the honorary citizen of Kavala, Osman Kavala, by the Turkish authorities.

Mr. Mouriadis pointed out that the government of the neighbor country must introduce the proceedings for a fair trial for Osman Kavala and indicated that it will soon take concrete initiatives to promote the request for his immediate release.

The other speakers made special mention of the personality of the well-known activist and the close relationship that he and his family had with the city, while they wished that his judicial adventure would end as soon as possible.

The statement of the Mayor of Kavala, Theodoros Mouriadis in detail is:

"Today, once again, we unite our voice with the international community and call on the Erdogan government to proceed with the immediate release of Osman Kavala.

The well-known activist and honorary citizen of Kavala since 2010, faces false accusations about the failed coup of 2016 and the anti-government demonstrations that took place eight years ago.

Our neighbors must start on all the procedures provided for a fair trial, without the regressions of the recent past and the unjustified postponements or delays of the current period.

The behavior of the Turkish judiciary directly undermines the rule of law and the principles of the Republic.

Osman Kavala, acting within the legal framework, as it appeared during the hearing process in February 2020, which led to his temporary, unfortunately, acquittal, defended the rights of minorities, the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation and the Greek heritage in Turkey.

Our attitude all this time is released not only from the special relationship he and his family have with our city, but also from the unshakable belief that the struggles he gave to help those social groups that are at disadvantaged from the official state must have the substantial support of all thinking citizens.

The Municipality of Kavala, as well as the institutions of our region, were, are and will remain on the side of Osman Kavala, until his final justification.

I believe that the time has come again, with the agreement of the Municipal Council of Kavala, to escalate our actions in order to empower the effort to free Osman Kavala from the vise of the judiciary in Turkey.

We must send a new protest to the Turkish Consulate in Komotini and contact the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to pressure Turkey for a transparent and rapid resolution of this case, with full respect for the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights."