Istanbul court rearrests comedian Deniz Göktaş after release ruling
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
An Istanbul court ordered the rearrest of comedian Deniz Göktaş on charges of praising crime and criminals, hours after a separate court had ruled for his release. Göktaş has been detained since July 3 over jokes in his show 'Dead Sea' about hiring a hitman. The rearrest was based on flight risk and evidence-tampering concerns.
Key Facts
- Deniz Göktaş has been detained since July 3 over jokes in his show 'Dead Sea' about hiring a hitman.
- Istanbul Asliye Ceza Mahkemesi ruled for Göktaş's release after reviewing an appeal against his detention.
- Istanbul 4th Sulh Ceza Hakimliği rearrested Göktaş on charges of praising crime and criminals before he could be released.
- The rearrest was justified by flight risk and evidence-tampering concerns.
- Göktaş was held at Karatepe High-Security Closed Prison in Çorlu.
The Rearrest
Istanbul Asliye Ceza Mahkemesi ordered Göktaş's release after reviewing an appeal against his detention. Before he could leave prison, Göktaş appeared via SEGBİS before Istanbul 4th Sulh Ceza Hakimliği and was rearrested on charges of praising crime and criminals. The court cited flight risk and evidence-tampering concerns as grounds for the rearrest. Göktaş remains in prison.
The Joke
The arrest stems from remarks Göktaş made during his show at Harbiye Open Air Theatre. He joked that with second-row ticket revenue one could hire a hitman in Turkey to kill a rival comedian, describing a system involving a Telegram group and Bitcoin payment. The court assessed the remarks as praising the criminal actions of the known crime group 'Daltonlar Çetesi', legitimizing them, and facilitating access to crime. Göktaş defended himself, saying he is a comedian and the remarks were entirely humorous criticism.
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Istanbul court rearrests comedian Deniz Göktaş after release ruling
