Comedian convicted, then released

An Istanbul court convicted stand-up comic Deniz Göktaş of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and sentenced him to almost nineteen months in prison, but ordered his immediate release due to time served.

The viral joke that got him arrested

Göktaş's stand-up routine went viral on YouTube with more than fifteen million views. Prosecutors singled out a line in which he called Erdoğan a shy dictator.

Göktaş denies the charges

The comedian insisted there was no criminal element in his comments. He argued that dictator is not an insult but a political characterisation of the Turkish leader.

“Dictator is not an insult. It is a political characterisation.”

Arrested at the airport, held in solitary

Göktaş was arrested and handcuffed at Istanbul airport in July when he returned from holiday. He spent eighty eight days in solitary confinement before his court appearance on Monday.

Released with travel ban in place

Göktaş was released at twenty one forty five local time and greeted by supporters and family outside the prison facility. The court placed him under a travel ban, preventing him from leaving Turkey.

Göktaş speaks out for others still detained

After his release, Göktaş told reporters there are thousands of other people in Turkish prisons held in pre-trial detention or convicted because of their views, including journalists, human rights campaigners, and the elected Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu.

“There are thousands of other people in prisons across Turkey.”