Turkish comedian faces over nine years in jail for 'insulting' Erdoğan
- Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas faces up to nine years and eight months in prison for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a viral YouTube show.
An Istanbul court accepted an indictment against Turkish stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş seeking a prison term of up to nine years and eight months over jokes in a viral show, state news agency Anadolu reported on Friday.
The indictment by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Göktaş of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, inciting hatred and enmity among the public, and praising crime and criminals, over remarks made in his June 24 YouTube special.
Prosecutors said comments about Erdoğan in the show "went beyond the limits of criticism" and "damaged the president's honour and dignity" in the eyes of the public.
"I never liked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, not even for a minute in my life," Göktaş said in his show.
Göktaş, who has been in pre-trial detention since July 3, is also accused over jokes about women who swim in the sea wearing modest Islamic swimwear. Separately, the indictment said Göktaş used language praising a criminal group.
He had denied all charges.
The court ordered Göktaş, 32, to remain in detention, setting the first hearing for September 28.
His YouTube special drew 14 million views. The set, which included jokes also about religion and other social and political issues, prompted fierce criticism from pro-government figures.
His case drew protests from rights groups who condemned it as targeting free expression and being used to suppress dissent.
