STRASBOURG 25.08.2026: The European Court of Human Rights today ruled that Turkey must free Osman Kavala immediately. Likewise, says the Association of Schools of Political Studies (ASPS), Member States of the Council of Europe must immediately put into practice the principles they themselves proclaimed at their Summit in Reykjavik in May 2023. In keeping with their role under the European Human Rights Convention, Council Member States must now pressure Turkey to free Kavala who has been in prison since 2017 on trumped up charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2022 in a travesty of justice. “Turkey’s refusal to implement previous ECHR judgements on Osman Kavala and the Council of Europe’s failure to take any meaningful action are undermining human rights in Europe and the values on which the Council and the European Union are based” said ASPS President Jack Hanning. “Reneging on Convention commitments at this time would be a tragic error and would only serve to bolster authoritarian anti-european leaders,” Hanning added.
ENDS NOTES FOR EDITORS
• The Association of Schools of Political Studies (ASPS) was set up in July 2008 by the Directors of the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe to play an enhanced role in the management of their programme, to strengthen links between the Schools and foster their activities.
• The first School was set up in Moscow in 1992. Since then other Schools have been established in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.
• The Association also has a number of associate members which are not part of the Council of Europe network and notably Schools in Yaoundé and Bishkek
• Jack Hanning has been President of the ASPS since 2024. A former Director of External Relations of the Council of Europe he succeeded Nils Muižnieks (2018-2024) and Catherine Lalumière (2008-2018).
• For further information please contact aspscoe@gmail.com or +33675797327