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up comic released after being convicted of insulting Erdoğan
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Deniz Göktaş, a popular Turkish comedian, was convicted of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and sentenced to nearly 19 months, but was released due to time already served, having spent 88 days in solitary confinement.
- The court imposed a travel ban on Göktaş, preventing him from leaving Turkey, despite prosecutors seeking a sentence of up to 12 years.
- Göktaş was arrested in July at Istanbul airport after returning from holiday, following comments in which he called Erdoğan "a shy dictator," which prosecutors deemed insulting.
- Upon release, Göktaş expressed relief at reuniting with family but highlighted the plight of thousands still imprisoned in Turkey for their views, including journalists, activists, and political figures.
- Human rights groups view Göktaş’s case as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Turkey, where prisons are reportedly overcrowded with political prisoners and activists.
