'Turkish Marx' detained for insulting Erdo?an

A Turkish comedian has been detained for not paying compensation to President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, which he was ordered to pay after making a statement that the court deemed insulting.

Director and actor Haldun Aç?ksözlü, who was known for his political stand-up comedy show ?Laz Marx,? was ordered to pay 6,000 Turkish Liras in compensation to Erdo?an for insulting the then-prime minister in 2011. The Court of Appeals later upheld the ruling of the local court in the Central Anatolian province of Çorum.

Daily Milliyet reported on Feb. 19 that Aç?ksözlü was recently detained at the Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul while leaving for Germany. He was then taken to a courthouse in the Bak?rköy district, where he said in his testimony that he had not been notified that his appeal had been rejected.

At least four people have been arrested over the past week for insulting Erdo?an, according to Agence France-Presse. All of the arrests are related to nationwide demonstrations on Feb. 13, when thousands boycotted schools and took to the streets to demand a secular education.

Onur K?l?ç, 25, the organiser of the demonstration in the western city of ?zmir, was arrested on Feb. 13 for anti-Erdo?an slogans referring to corruption allegations against the president and his inner circle.
       
?I was told that I was arrested for insulting the president. But I haven?t insulted anyone, I was just telling the truth,? K?l?ç, who now faces up to four years in prison, was quoted as saying by Do?an News Agency.

Amnesty International on Feb. 16 called for ?urgent action? to release K?l?ç and called on the government to end all prosecutions and detentions under a law that criminalises insulting the president. It said such...