Turkish Doctor's 'Lord of the Rings' Meme Juxtaposing Gollum and President Erdogan Might Land Him in Prison

This is real life.

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Complex Original

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A doctor is now facing up to two years in prison for allegedly "insulting a state official" with some Gollumimagery. The Turkish court presiding over the bizarre case has also ruled that a "committee of experts" shall determine whether or not juxtaposing Gollum’s charming facial features with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is offensive, according to WABC-TV. By the way: Yes. This is a real thing. All of this is really happening.

Attorney Hicran Danisman says she was "forced" to argue in court earlier this week that Gollum is not a "bad character" after apparently finding no success using freedom of expression as a defense. The judge, according to Danisman, then decided that a committee comprised of "psychologists and movie experts" should provide a thorough evaluation of Gollum, a fictional character. The trial was then adjourned until February of next year.

Dr Bilgin Çiftçi worked as doctor for 23 years, has been barred from the family health hospital where he had been working over the accusations of "insulting statesmen."

Dr Bilgin Çiftçi, though currently facing possible prison time for the Gollum comparison, has already felt the severe ramifications of the meme. In fact, DHA reports that the doctor has been widely ostracized in the wake of the increasingly perplexing controversy:

Reddit, thankfully, has promptly exploded with variations on a meme and lively commentary on all things Lord of the Rings. This gathering quickly delivered incisive proclamations such as this:

But, seriously, prison? This guy might go to prison for this shit?

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