So much for freedom of speech. A German comedian is now facing prison time for simply poking fun at Turkey’s president in a poem.
“German comedian Jan Böhmermann could face prison for ‘smear poem’ against Turkish President Erdogan,” By Jess Staufenberg, 7 April 2016:
‘What I’m about to read is not allowed,’ the young comedian says before reading
Jan Bohmermann’s poem was called a “deliberate insult” by Chancellor Angela Merkel
A German comedian could face prosecution in his own country for “insulting” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Jan Böhmermann, a satirical comedian, is being investigated by German authorities under defamation laws for a poem in which he calls the Turkish premier a “goat f*****” and other insults.
He could face up to five years in prison if Turkey’s foreign ministers, who were reportedly angered by the programme, decide to press charges and he is convicted, according to Der Tagesspiegel.
“Erdogan is definitely a president with a small tail,” says the comedian, in a line where “tail” is understood in German to refer to another part of the male anatomy.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s craziest quotesThe popular young comedian was reportedly trying to outdo the offensiveness of an earlier song insulting Erdogan, which Ankara officially complained about in March.
Read more: Pamela Geller
