Osman Kavala, imprisoned in Turkey for nearly three years without ever being convicted of a crime, is a philanthropist and businessman who supporters say has tirelessly used his wealth to help society.
The 62-year-old marked 1,000 days behind bars on Monday, prompting a fresh round of support on social media under the hashtag #FreeOsmanKavala.
Little-known to the public before his arrest, he has become a symbol of what critics say is a crackdown on civil society under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially in the wake of a failed coup in 2016.
Initially, Kavala was accused of fomenting the so-called Gezi Park protests in 2013, but when he was acquitted on those charges in February, he was immediately re-arrested over claims he was involved in the coup.
He is now accused of seeking to overthrow the constitutional order and espionage.
“We’ve had 1,000 days stolen from our life,” his wife, Ayse Bugra, said during an online press conference on Saturday.
“My husband’s mother is over the age of 90 and she doesn’t know whether she will ever see her son again,” she added.
Read more: AFP
