Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş has been convicted of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and sentenced to almost 19 months in prison, but an Istanbul court ordered his release because he has already served time. The conviction is subject to appeal, and a travel ban prevents him from leaving Turkey.

Göktaş denied the charge, arguing that describing Erdoğan as “a shy dictator” was political commentary; prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to 12 years. He spent nearly 90 days in prison after being arrested at Istanbul airport in July, and his stand-up routine has received more than 15 million YouTube views. His case comes amid arrests that rights groups say are aimed at suppressing dissent, while many other people remain imprisoned, including journalists, activists and Istanbul’s elected mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.