Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul spoke out against the widespread practice of arbitrary detentions Friday, fueling speculation that Turkish philanthropist and civic activist Osman Kavala, who has been in jail for more than three years on a slew of outlandish charges, may be finally freed.
Addressing a symposium on criminal law in Ankara, Gul said that defendants should stand trial without being detained and that this was the norm. “The evidence has been gathered, there is no risk of flight, the suspect’s whereabouts have been established, years have gone past. One cannot say ‘Let's arrest [them].’ It’s wrong,” Gul said.