Turkish prosecutor charges comedian Deniz Göktas for insulting Erdoğan

Comedian Deniz Göktas' video was viewed 14 million times. In his YouTube special, he makes jokes about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, among other things. He now faces up to nine years and eight months in prison. A court in Istanbul approved an indictment on Friday, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.

The indictment from the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office accuses the 32-year-old, among other things, of insulting President Erdoğan, inciting the population to hatred and enmity, and praising crimes and criminals.

In custody for two months

The prosecutor's office said Göktas' comments about Erdoğan on the show "exceeded the limits of criticism" and "damaged the president's reputation and dignity in the eyes of the public." Göktas said in his broadcast: "I have never liked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, not even for a minute in my life."

The comedian has been in custody since July 3rd. He published the video on June 24th. He is also accused of making jokes about women who go swimming in the sea wearing Islamic conservative swimwear. The indictment also states that Göktas praised a criminal group. He has denied all allegations. The court ordered Göktas to remain in custody and set the first hearing date for September 28.

The YouTube special also contained jokes about religion and other social and political issues and sparked strong criticism from those close to the government.

Human rights organizations protested against the case. They see it as an attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to suppress dissent.