Popular Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş has been convicted by an Istanbul court on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa during a stand-up performance in June.

The 32-year-old was sentenced to 19 months in prison after an online video of his performance went viral on social media, attracting over 15 million views.

However, the court ordered his release pending the judicial review and appeal process that would finalise the verdict.

The court has also placed the comedian on a travel ban, preventing him from fleeing the country, as it awaits a final decision in the case from the Court of Appeal.

Mr Göktaş denied the charges from the video that was released from his show and has already spent nearly 90 days in prison since he was arrested on July 3.

The comedian was convicted on two of three charges brought against him, including insulting Mr Erdoğan and insulting religious values.

The religious values charge was changed from an initial accusation of inciting hatred and hostility over jokes about Islam. His third charge, which he was acquitted of, was for allegedly praising crime and criminals.

Prosecutors had demanded a sentence of up to 12 years in prison for the defendant.

During his hearing on Monday, he did not deny making the comments but argued that his jokes did not constitute a crime.

The comedian said he described Mr Erdoğan as a dictator as a characteristic of the president rather than an insult; he added that he should be open to political jokes.

Mr Göktaş’s case comes amid the country’s growing concerns over freedom of speech and expression.