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A court in Istanbul ordered the release of comedian Deniz Goktas on Monday after 88 days in detention, sentencing him on charges of insulting the president and denigrating religious values while acquitting him of praising crime and criminals.
Goktas, 32, appeared before a judge for the first time at the Caglayan Courthouse. Prosecutors had requested that he be punished over the charges against him but also asked for his release.
After a break in the hearing, the court sentenced Goktas to 11 months and 20 days in prison for insulting the president and seven months and 15 days for denigrating religious values.
He was acquitted of the charge of praising crime and criminals.
At the Sept. 28 hearing, Goktas said he stood by the remarks he made during his show, "Olu Deniz."
He said he had spent 22 days in prison for each of four statements cited in the case.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of up to nine years and eight months over remarks made during the performance.
An investigation into Goktas was launched on June 29 over statements in his show. He was detained at an airport on July 2 after returning from an overseas vacation and arrested the following day.
On Aug. 28, a court ordered his release on charges of publicly inciting hatred and hostility and insulting the president.
Before leaving prison, however, he was arrested again on a charge of praising crime and criminals, linked to allegations that he had praised the Daltonlar criminal organization during the same performance.
The court acquitted him of that charge at Monday's hearing and ordered his release.
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