Turkey puts stand-up comedian on trial over remarks about Erdogan
A trial has begun in Istanbul against stand-up comedian Deniz Goktas, who faces up to 12 years and two months in prison over remarks made during a performance. He has already spent 88 days in pretrial detention.
A trial has opened in Istanbul against stand-up comedian Deniz Goktas, who faces three separate charges over comments he made during a show at the Harbiye theater. He could face up to 12 years and two months in prison, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported, as cited by Yevropeiska Pravda.
Goktas is charged with publicly inciting hatred and enmity, insulting the president, and praising crimes and criminals. The indictment states that his remarks about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went beyond the bounds of criticism and were capable of damaging the president's honor, dignity and reputation in the eyes of the public.
The indictment also cites comments Goktas made about the Quran, Islam's holy book, alleging they openly incited hatred and enmity between population groups holding different religious beliefs. Prosecutors further claim his words during the performance undermined public order, caused division and polarization, and were offensive toward women.
Comedian denies the charges
In a statement to police before his arrest, Goktas denied the allegations, saying he had been performing the same show in numerous cities across Turkey for a long time without such intent. He noted that the show has been seen by more than 100,000 spectators and that none of them had complained about the segment in question.
Goktas also denied intending to demean Erdogan, explaining that the word "dictator" is a political term frequently discussed in public, comparable to words like "democrat" or "autocrat."
An Istanbul court ordered Goktas's arrest in July after he was detained at the city's main airport over a performance that had drawn 9.4 million views on YouTube. He has now been held in custody for 88 days.
