Istanbul, Sept 28. (dpa/GNA) – Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş, was sentenced to 11 months in prison on Monday for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Istanbul court also found Göktaş, 32, guilty of “denigrating religious values,” sentencing him to another seven months in jail on the first day of his trial, according to private news agency Demirören.
At the same time, the court acquitted him of the charge of “glorifying crime and criminals” and ordered his release from pre-trial detention, Demirören reported. The comedian was expected to be released later on Monday, since prison terms of this length usually don’t have to be served in Turkey.
The complaint against Göktaş, brought by Erdoğan among others, centred on jokes made in a viral YouTube special, released in June about women wearing Islamic swimwear.
The indictment also accused the comedian of praising a criminal group and calling Erdoğan a “dictator.”
Göktaş, who has been in pre-trial detention since July 3, has denied all charges. He was arrested at Istanbul Airport at the beginning of July, when returning from holiday.
Göktaş said in court on Monday that he had anticipated that he would be detained at the time, he explained in the courtroom, according to the opposition newspaper Birgün.
However, he said he wanted to persuade young people not to leave Turkey, adding that even the police officers who detained him had been surprised by his return.
GNA