Turkish comedian sentenced to 19 months for insulting Erdogan
Goktas also said none of his jokes had led to complaints until excerpts were taken out of context and shared on social media.
A Turkish court yesterday (27 September) sentenced comedian Deniz Goktas to more than 19 months in prison for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and religious values, but released him pending an appeal.
Goktas, 32, had been in custody since 3 July after videos of his comedy routine circulated online. In the performance, he referred to Erdogan as a "dictator."
The court convicted him of insulting the president and religious values, handing him a combined sentence of 19 months and 10 days.
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During his defense, which prompted laughter in the Istanbul courtroom, Goktas said he stood by a joke in which he described Erdogan as having developed from a "shy dictator" into one who was "confident in his identity."
He argued that political satire had previously been tolerated in Turkey and that laws concerning insults had not changed.
"What has changed? Fragile leaders who can't handle jokes or criticism," he said, according to remarks published by Birgun and other opposition-supporting media outlets.
Goktas also said none of his jokes had led to complaints until excerpts were taken out of context and shared on social media.
His comedy show, "Dead Sea," was recorded in Istanbul in June and received more than 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube. The court was told that 185 complaints had been filed through a reporting system operated by Erdogan's office.
Goktas was arrested after returning from a vacation and held at Karatepe high-security prison in Tekirdag province, west of Istanbul.
Erdogan has been in power for more than two decades, during which critics say restrictions on freedom of expression have increased. Journalists and government critics regularly face investigations, detention and prosecution.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's main political rival, has been imprisoned since March last year and is facing trial on corruption charges.
Hundreds of mayors and other officials from Turkey's main opposition party are also facing corruption prosecutions. The party's leader was removed by a court order, moves critics describe as attempts to weaken the opposition ahead of the next elections.
The Erdogan government maintains that Turkish courts operate independently and without political interference.
