While the question of Gollum’s intentions in The Lord of the Rings series is usually left up to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, the fictional character is now at the center of a trial in Turkey.
Bilgin Ciftci, a doctor, is currently on trial after comparing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the shriveled, hunched-over Gollum. According to Fox News, he could be sentenced to up to two years in prison for insulting Erdogan, which is a crime in Turkey. The court in the province of Aydin will have to figure out if the comparison puts Erdogan in a bad light.
Local media reports that the court has actually called two academics, two psychologists and a movie expert to testify on Gollum since neither the prosecutor nor the judge have seen The Lord of the Rings movies, notes Time. The court was adjourned until February while the experts do their research on the character.
Cifti has already lost his job at a local hospital.
This case might sound funny to Lord of the Rings fans, but it is a serious case of Turkey’s ongoing prosecution of people who make fun of or question leadership. Even Former Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac was charged with insulting Erdogan earlier this year. Just last week, two important journalists were arrested for allegedly spying.