ATHENS – Greece joined criticism of a life jail sentence given by a Turkish court to noted activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala critics said was done on trumped-up charges by the hard line government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Europe’s top court and several Western governments said it was politically-motivated but despite a number of similar cases, including jailing journalists by the dozens, the European Union hasn’t pulled the plug on Turkey’s hopes of joining the bloc.

In a Tweet – the preferred method of making announcements by governments who want to avoid questions from reporters – Greece called for Kavala’s immediate release, adding that the “decision stands in stark contrast with the international obligations Turkey has assumed.”

“Respect for rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights constitute a fundamental obligation for countries aspiring to join the European Union, including Turkey,” the ministry said but it was ignored and he will go to jail.