Turkish comedian convicted for Erdogan 'insult' freed pending appeal
Comedian on trial for allegedly insulting Erdogan in standup show
Popular Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas was released from prison after 88 days of detention, despite being convicted by an Istanbul court for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Goktas, 32, walked out of Karatepe high security prison, greeted by family, fans and supporters. He had been arrested on July 3, a week after posting a video of his "Dead Sea" show on YouTube, which went viral and received nine million views.
His arrest was part of a broader crackdown on critics of the conservative Turkish government, targeting politicians, journalists, musicians, artists, LGBTQ activists and many others. Goktas appeared before an Istanbul court, where he was charged with insulting Erdogan, incitement to public hatred and praising crime and criminals.
The judge convicted him on the first charge, revised the second charge to "insulting religious values," and convicted him of that as well, while acquitting him on the third charge. Goktas defended himself with political satire, arguing that "dictator" is a political characterization and not an insult. He was sentenced to just over 19 months in prison, but was released pending appeal.
Goktas expressed hope for a future where people can regain their freedom and hoped the time would come when everyone could be freed from such convictions.
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