Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş on trial for insulting President Erdoğan in standup show
Göktaş's arrest was the latest in a widening crackdown on anyone seen as critical of Turkey's conservative government or its values, which has netted hundreds of politicians, artists, musicians, journalists and LGBTQ+ activists.
A Turkish comedian, Deniz Goktas, has gone on trial for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a stand-up performance. According to DW English, Goktas' show, titled "Dead Sea", was watched nearly 9 million times on YouTube, and shorter clips he posted online also gained significant attention.
Goktas faces charges related to content in his show, including insulting Erdogan, praising crime and criminals, and inciting hatred and hostility with jokes about Islam, as reported by DW News. He has been held in pretrial detention since July 3.
A group of around 50 protesters gathered outside the courtroom in Istanbul, chanting "Deniz Goktas is not alone", while supporters, journalists, and observers from the Dutch embassy and the US consulate also waited to enter the courtroom.
Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, DW News, DW English (Top Stories), Al-Monitor — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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